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VOL. Mk m
m
DECEMBER 1931
NO. 4
��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
"Published monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., New York, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single Copies 50c
Entered as second class matter June 25, 1926, at the post office at New "iork,
N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. VI NO. 4
DECEMBER, 1931
t
CONTENTS
Palestine of Religious Romance and Historic Realism
By H. I.
Christmas Altar (a Poem)
By ALICE
KATIBAH
11
MOKARZEL
The Great Recurrence
By
Poetry, Edited by
3
12
KAHLIL GIBRAN
15
BARBARA YOUNG
Blithesome Boy, by
BARBARA YOUNG
Christmas Poetry
Still There is Bethlehem, by
17
18
NANCY BYRD
TURNER
Carol, by GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON
Second Coming, by ERNEST HARTSOCK.
18
18
18
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
News and Views
.. 19
By A
STAFF OBSERVER
Are These Great Men Really Syrians?
19
Origin of Chivalry
22
East and West
"... 23
Omar Khayyam—His Grave and Shiraz Wine
24
Promoting Religious Understanding
26
Home and Family ....'
Edited by
27
BAHIA AL-MUSHEER
The Dietetic Value of Syrian Food
A Menu For American Guests
Proper Roasting
How Ladies Could Use Idle Hours
A Party for Aneesa, (A Short Story)
By
EDNA
K.
27
28
29
29
30
SALOOMEY
Book Reviews
39
A Book of Sentiment and Fact on a Great
Syrian Poet
39
Resurrecting the Glory of Syria
41
Spanning the Nation's History
43
Peace and Good Will, Plus Faith
By
44
THE EDITOR
Political Developments in Syria
Syrian World News Section
.45
51
I
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Syrian
^^^^ f/
MOKARZEL, Editor
SALLOUM A. M<
DECEMBER, 1931
VOL. VI NO. 4
Palestine of Religious Romance
and Historic Realism
THE SUCCESSION OF EVENTS WHICH MADE A HOLY
LAND OF THE SMALL SYRIAN PROVINCE
LYING AT THE INTERSECTION OF
THREE CONTINENTS
By H. I.
KATIBAH
PALESTINE, to millions of our matter-of-fact, practical, realistic generation, is not a geographic term so much as a state of
mind and imagination. It suggests not so much plains, hills, valleys, rivers and stretches of gray, rocky, barren land as it does an
idyllic state of serenity, happiness, joy and eternal peace.
It is not surprising that such were the connotations and associations invoked by the word "Palestine" to the generations of
our grandfathers and great grandfathers in countries far removed
from that little country squeezed in the southern portion of a little
corridor between three continents—Asia, Europe and Africa. For
Palestine, to them, was something they learned about in the Bible
and from queer, multicolored maps of the Sunday schools. It was
studied always in connection with an ancient history that was always surrounded with a halo of sanctity and mystery, and often a
sense of taboo besides. Rarely was it ever, studied with any effort
at historic and geographic perspective. Great and mighty nations
as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and Greeks, were'
just outlandish, distant names that gain significance only in that
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
they are brought in association with the name of the Hebrews the
chosen people of God.
There was such a thing as "sacred history" and "profane history," and our ancestors sincerely believed that the former could
be studied separately, encompassed as it was between the two morocco covers of a collection of books—the Bible. In the minds of
those pious forefathers of ours even profane history became "bibliocentnc," and the achievements and civilizations of great neighboring
countries was dwarfed and dwindled in contrast with the earnest,
religious message of the Hebrew prophets and psalmists. Socrates'
Plato and Aristotle, who came in the twilight of Hebrew history,
were perhaps unknown to most of the Hebrew learned men and
priests of their days, and Greek civilization, which at one time
threatened to swallow the Hebrew and other civilizations of the
East, was condemned as an unclean, heathen innovation. And to
most of those who read the Bible a hundred or fifty years ago, even
to many who read it today, this great ancient civilization meant
just as little. It mattered little that Greek philosophy stole through
the backdoor of Christian theology and square-footedly occupied
a secure place in the Bible, or that it was two great Jews, Philo and
St. Paul, who introduced this same Greek philosophy to the Semitic
practical religion of the Jews.
It is no wonder, we say, that our ancestors took such an exclusive view of Palestine and its history, and that to them Palestine
was an idealized term of religious sentiment and distant history.
In those days there were no cables to link far-flung countries of the
world together and make them seem like a little country town
where all the gossip of the day could be exchanged around the stove
of the country general store; there were no fast trains that devoured
space, no airplanes that annihilated time, and shrunk this globe of
ours to one tenth of its original size. For, after all, time and distance are relative terms, and only have sense in relation to our
capacity for turning them into subjective human experience.
But the wonder is that to a great number of people among us,
in this age of the cable, the fast trains, trans-Atlantic steamers,zeppelins and airplanes, Palestine still is-a term of religious romance
that has little historic realism and practically no geographic perspective to them.
I was strongly reminded of this in a little anecdote that a
friend of mine, a former research worker in the Foreign Policy
Association, once related to me. She told me that she was once
dictating a letter to a Jewish stenographer in the office, and when
�—
"DECEMBER, 1931
fntTrmrrrTmmmm' ,
5
the letter was finished she directed that it be addressed to a certain
gentleman in Jerusalem, Palestine.
The Jewish girl opened her eyes wide with sudden surprise.
"Jerusalem? /" she asked, her eyes shining with a mysterious,
distant gleam, as if the word suggested to her some golden dream
of romance and bliss.
"Yes, Jerusalem! " replied the research worker, smiling.
"Palestine? " again asked the surprised stenographer.
"Yes, Palestine " added the research worker.
"And will it reach there? " still persisted the puzzled questioner.
"Certainly it will! " assured the young lady whose job it was
to keep a great section of American public opinion fully informed
on the latest developments in Palestine, Syria, Egypt and the rest
of the Arabic-speaking world.
Not only to Christians, but to Jews and Moslems also, the
earthly Palestine, and particularly Jerusalem, is inseparably linked
with the heavenly one.
The Jews, among the followers of the three great monotheistic religions, were the ones to whom the earthly Palestine, the
earthly Jerusalem, was not only real, but the very centre of their
reality, and without which their hopes, aspirations, their history and
religion, were without significance or substantiality. At least that
could be safely said of the orthodox Jews. They had a feverish,
fanatic, almost fetichistic attachment to the actual soil, the actual
stones, the hills, valleys, trees, the very air that circulated in the
clear, translucent sky of that little bit of a Holy Land. This was
especially true after the second destruction of Jerusalem under
Hadrian who ordered the city rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina and prevented the Jews from even entering it again on the pains of death.
Jerusalem became then to the Jews the land of their lost dream,
their ultimate hope and salvation, when Jehovah would gather them
from their diaspora in every corner of the world and bring them
back in rejoicing and triumph to Zion.
Once the land came into the possession of a friendly Semitic
people, the Arabs, it was this same passionate longing for Palestine,
for Zion, that burned in the hearts of pious Jewish pilgrims and
made them leave sometimes comfortable homes in lands where they
had flourished and prospered, facing innumerable dangers "of seas
and lands, to arrive to the land of their happy dreams, even if it
were only to lay their hands on its sod and die. It was this inexplicable attachment for a land from which they were separated by
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The Holy City of Jerusalem, as it appears from the Mount of Olives.
�DECEMBER, 1931
7
thousands of miles and almost as many years, that gave rise to
numerous legends and ceremonies which added more halo and romance to a country, otherwise less fortunate than many others in the
same neighborhood, and less favoured by Providence and nature.
Jerusalem became the city "in the middle of the world," and the
city to which all the dead will be gathered in the day of resurrection. Those who could not go to Palestine and die there, have to
walk in dark, subterranean passages when the archangel Gabriel
blows his horn, and every soul answers the roll call to appear before the Great Judge. In their superstitious yearning for "Eretz
Yizroel," it was considered a soothing compensation for Jews who
die outside Palestine to sprinkle a little of its sacred soil between
the legs of the dead—the seat of, life.
Perhaps no Jew gave a more intense, sublime expression to this
yearning than Jehuda Halevi who lived in the 12th century in Spain,
in the heyday of Arab supremacy. He himself wrote in Arabic as
well as in Hebrew, and was well off in the country of his sojourn.
But there was a mysterious unrestfulness about him which seemed
to egg him on and prod him to visit Palestine. Life to him was
worthless unless that object was fulfilled, and he sang in longing
and anguish of that land of his forefathers that sometimes rose to
the heights of the Hebrew psalms, and were shot through with
references to biblical passages and incidents. Legend has it that
as he was within sight of his cherished dream he was shot by an
Arab soldier with an arrow, and so the Jewish poet died within a
stone's throw, so to speak, of the Temple, of which he had sung
so majestically and pathetically. Here is a typical song, perhaps
one of his best, of Jehuda Halevi, from the English translation of
Nina Salaman:
"Beautiful of elevation! Joy of the world!
City of the Great King!
For thee my soul is longing from limits of the west.
The tumult of my tenderness is stirred when I remember
Thy glory of old that is departed—thine habitation which
is desolate.
0 that I might fly on eagles' wings,
That I might water thy dust with my tears until they
mingle together.
1 have sought thee even though thy King is not in thee
and though, in place
�IT
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8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Of thy Gilead's balm, are now the fiery serpent and
scorpion.
Shall I not be tender to thy stones and kiss them,
And the taste of thy soil be sweeter than honey unto mer"
But neither in Jehuda Halevi nor any of his compatriots who
wasted themselves for Palestine do we hear a celestial note. For
while it is true that Aelia supplanted the time-honored name (Jerusalem), as Margolioth remarks, and the latter name began to be
used exclusively for "the heavenly city of devotional fancy
painted in more gorgeous colours than before," the Jews still clung
to the earthly Jerusalem, while Christians, whose Messiah had already come and was with the Father in heaven, lost all interest in
the earthly Jerusalem and concentrated it on the heavenly Jerusalem, and often was the former transfigured beyond all recognition of its geographic and historic identity.
Thus when a Bernard de Morlaix, who was contemporary to
Jehuda Halevi, sang of:
"Jerusalem the golden,
With milk and honey blest,
Beneath thy contemplation
Sink heart and voice opprest"
we are, sometimes, not quite sure whether the hymnodist had in
mind the heavenly or the earthly Jerusalem, or perhaps both in some
mystic union of devotional fancy and fervour.
Perhaps the ones who held the most realistic view of Palestine
were the Moslem Arabs who occupied the country in the seventh
century, the first to fall under their control in their swift and brilliant series of conquest after they sallied forth from their Arabian
homeland.
Yet, even the Arabs themselves did not want to be outdone
by the Jews and Christians in their devotion to Palestine, "the resting-place of the prophets, the descent place of the angels and of
inspiration." It was this desire to rival its sister Semitic, monotheistic religious in pouring its tribute to the "Sacred House," that
was back of that most audacious "revelation" of the "Isra," or
"nocturnal journey," from the Holy Temple in Mecca to "the
Furthermost Temple" in Jerusalem. At the same time of that
revelation, one year before the hegira, many of the believers themselves cast serious doubts on the Prophet's claim that that distance,
which took a whole month to cover by swiftly driven camels one
�DECEMBER, 1931
9
way and another month back, was actually traversed by him in one
night. There were no airplanes in those days, of course, nor did
the Prophet say that he rode on a magical carpet of wind. On the
contrary, Mohammed asserted that Gabriel supplied him with a
green mount, a cross-breed between a donkey and a mule, called
al-Buraq. Once in Jerusalem, Mohammed tied his miraculous
mount to a window outside the Temple wall, and to the present day
the Mughrabite custodians of the Buraq quarter point to you that
very window without any qualms of doubt or trepidation. Then
he entered the Temple, and behold Gabriel had gathered for him
all the prophets from their graves, and he led them in a short prayer of "two kneelings!"
In this way the transfiguration of Palestine became complete,
and the real, earthly Palestine put on a sheen of myth and sanctity
more mythical and more sanctified than realistic history could possibly justify.
It took a long and arduous campaign of historic and critical
scholarship to restore Palestine to its realistic proportions. Whole
books and monographs have been written and are still being written
to remove an endless number of illusions about the Holy Land, illusions that have no origin in fact, but were generously supplied by
the pious imaginations of devotees to a country so intimately and
inseparably linked with the cradle of their religions.
Mark Twain poked satiric fun at those religio-romantic tourists
who travelled up and down the Holy Land gushing forth exaggerated and unbridled sentiment about its unmatched beauty and
'undying glory. He was, on the contrary, impressed especially by
its ardity, the sordidness of its environment and lack of scenic
beauty.
To bring the realization of its proper dimensions
nearer to his r.rtaers in America he declares that "the State
of Missouri could be split into three Palestines, and there would
then be enough material left for part of another—possibly a whole
one." That this reminder of Mark Twain was not unjustified or
uncalled for may be appreciated from an incident which I beg to cite
from my own experience. Travelling one day in Ohio, some fifteen
years ago, I was engaged in conversation with a pious old lady who
was trying to win me to her peculiar form of religious vagaries and
convince me that the second coming of Christ was very near, within a few years at most. She gave me some literature to read in
which the descent of the Heavenly Jerusalem over the earthly one
was vividly described. The heavenly city was to be three hundred
miles in length and three hundred miles in width.
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rHE SYRIAN WORLD
"Do you realize, my dear lady," I commented as I read that
description, "that the heavenly Jerusalem you speak of would cover
twice the size of Palestine, and a large part of it would lie in the
Mediterranean Sea!"
Singling out a particularly sentimental tourist who had written
more fancy than fact about Palestine, Mark Twain describes him
as one who "went through this peaceful land with one hand forever
on his revolver and the other on his pocket handkerchief. Always,
when he was not on the point of crying over a holy place, he was
on the point of killing an Arab." Then he adds with a touch of
indignant irony: "More surprising things happened to him than
to any traveller here or elsewhere since Munchausen died!"
Mark Twain did a great service to the people of his generation,
and his "Innocents Abroad" is a classic of debunking which every
tourist, particularly to the Holy Land, should read.
Nevertheless the stream of sentimental literature about Palestine still goes on. But the banner of fervid eulogizing and romancing vagary today is not carried by Christian monks and tourists,
but by so-called "practical Zionists," who refuse to believe that
Palestine is too small, too barren and utterly unfit for ethnic, industrial and military considerations, to be the seat of a revived
Jewish state. Nor would they even read their own history with
eyes undimmed by the wish-fulhllments of their harried, persecuted
career in Palestine itself and ever since they were driven out from
it.
To Zionists in particular, and to all others who cannot or
refuse to separate in their minds between Palestine of fancy and
Palestine of fact, Palestine of religious romance and Palestine of
historic realism, I sincerely commend a recent book written by a
Jewish rabbi, a scholar and gifted writer, who took upon himself
the task of redrawing the whole history of the Jews in deft and
broad strokes that restore its true picture to us and place it in a true
perspective of history and balanced reason. This book, "Srranger
than Fiction," by Lewis Browne, is a great work of popularization
which brings within our reach the painstaking labours of hundreds
of scholars and historians—that disquieting tribe of indefatiguable
workers who ever insist on bringing us back to our senses and destroy our cherished illusions ithat have no roots in fact, and often
not even in fancy.
One paragraph from this book, describing Jerusalem in the
days of David, is sufficient to illustrate the spirit and aim of the
author:
�11 !PS"
DECEMBER, 1931
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"When David took hold of Jerusalem," writes Mr. Browne,
"it must have been much like any other Canaanite town. From end
to end its length was probably that of ten of our city blocks, and
surrounding it was a tremendously high wall of stone.
The
houses were flat-roofed, one story huts of stone plastered with
mud} and there was no furniture inside them. The people ate and
slept on the ground, and the animals ate and slept with them. Horrid smells filled every corner of the town, for of course there were
no sewers and no street-cleaning department. Nasty insects buzzed
around everywhere, for refuse rotted in front of every house.
Savage, half-starved dogs prowled about, and here and there dirty
little children, naked save for the good-luck charms hung around
their necks, with bellies swollen from drinking foul water, and
faces covered with sores and scars, played amid the filth or ran
errands.
"Such was Jerusalem that became the capital of David's empire. There he established his harem of twenty or thirty wives—
and right proud he must have been of it, for in those days the might
of a monarch was largely judged by the size of his harem—and
there he served as high priest and chief justice and king."
Christmas Altar
By
ALICE MOKARZEL
There is a holy quiet here—
A sacred stillness that breathes a calm
Unto the troubled heart} a balmy incense
That seeks the weary soul and bids it rise
And behold the comfort of a thousand years
Revealed above the glamour of this shrine.
There are the gifts of Magi here—
In leaves that twine the golden cross,
And candles, soothing the beloved dark
Like pallid, love-lit soldiers, guarding
This world-heart of the hearts of men.
There is an unsung carol here
That fills the breast of king and shepherd,
And quells the tired and aching heart
That finds its solace near His bed.
3L««^..-<-
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�THE SYRIAN WORLD
12
The Great Recurrence
By
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Author of "Jesus, the Son of Man/' "The Prophet," etc.
MANY centuries ago they said that the humble shepherds
of Judea and the wise Kings of Persia came to a manger
to worship the infant Jesus. They also said that the shepherds sang of peace and good will, and of love that binds
man to man; and that the wise Kings laid gold and frankincense at the feet of the Blessed Babe.
Today we children of the vast yesterday come to a
manger, which is in truth our solitude; each one of us a
shepherd who would have peace in the pasture of his
thoughts, and the good will of all the other shepherds—and
each one of us a King of his own destiny, who would lay
gold and frankincense at the feet of his greater self: gold
for assurance and frankincense for dreams.
You and I and all our neighbors would kneel before
the anointed genius of mankind, which is in us all.
And they say that Jesus was born in a cave even like his
forerunners, Orpheus and Methra and Zoroaster. They
said this for they knew that only the secret depths can give
birth to great heights.
�!
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DECEMBER, 1931
13
II
I' I
And today, we, too, believe that vast souls, even as vast
worlds, move from darkness to light, and from oblivion to
recognition, from hidden roots to blooms that laugh in the
sun and dance in the wind.
But they said that the King of Judea decreed, in his
fear, the slaughter of all the newborn in the land, for he
was told even by the Persian seers that the infant Jesus
should overrule him and deprive him of scepter and diadem.
Today we in our fear of the unknown tomorrow would
slay the innocence in us that it may not be a stumbling block
in the path of our governing intelligence.
But, thanks be to the heavens above, there is for some
of us an Egypt for an escape and golden sands and palm
trees for safety.
If
We go there in faith, knowing that that which we
would save in us is the truth and the beauty which the angel
of our white nights so graciously taught us to love and protect.
Yea, it was in that distant yesterday when the genius
of our heart's desire was born, and the secret in our depth
was revealed to us, and the innocence in us sought escape
from the designing which is in us also.
And all this shall come to pass many times before we
reach our homecoming. It is the mystic recurrence of the
divine mystery before the face of the Son.
(Reprinted from the Herald Tribune, Dec. 23, 1928)
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Symbolic of The Great Recurrrence.
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�•DECEMBER, 1931
BARBARA YOUNG,
Editor
"The child is but a day old, yet we have seen the light of our God in
His eyes and the smile of cur God upon His mouth.
"We bid you protect Him that He may protect you all."
Kahlil Gibran
QOLD AND frankincense and myrrh
Never the celebration
of the Christmas holiday that these words do not ring in our
hearts like temple bells.
The poetry of the Yuletide is like the
poetry of no other time in all the twelvemonth of the year, even
as the poet whose birth we now remember, surpasses all other poets
who have lived and died upon this, planet; the Poet who lived his
poems and who left not so much as one written word on any parchment.
In that little bridge-country which has been an embattled field
since time began, in the midst of civil turbulence and inter-racial
violence, this Poet? and this Prince of Peace was born.
In the East, in the Arabic speaking countries, all princes have
been poets There were long ages when such a being as a king who
was not also a poet was unthinkable.
But the Poet of Nazareth, born, the churchlv reord reads "in
Bethlehem of Judea," has bequeathed to mankind a heritage of
poetry such as none other of any land, of any time, has left.
What he may actually have said reallv matters little after all
The divine beauty and power that invested his human person, the
mighty emanation from his ageless spirit lives and shall live a
persistent song in the deep heart of the race, and a golden word
upon its tongue.
�I I
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
More poetry has been written in his name than in the name of
any other ten of earth's high spirits. And there is that in every remembrance of this Man which imparts a rhythm and a melody
even to the prose that takes his doings for its theme. The magic
of his being bestows a quality of music upon our common words
and every poet who puts quill to paper delights to ponder his ways
and nis comeliness.
"Then suddenly, one night,
I had a vision—we will call it so.
I saw a Young Man working with his tools,
Hammer and' plane and saw, beside a bench.
It was a room like this. Often he stopped
And looked away out through the open door
To the low hills. I heard him speaking, too
He was a comely fellow, very young,
Twenty perhaps, with eyes like mountain pools,
The kind you'd know would gather stars at night
In their dark depths. His hands upon the wood
And on the plane were like two conscious things
That breathed and thought and lived a separate life.
I've never seen two other hands like those,
Nor such a frame, compact like a young tree
And his face, Michael, it was like a god,
And like a child, and like a woman, too;'
But most of all it was a poet's face,—
A poet who could be a warrior
If need be, or a shepherd, or a king,
Or just a man, a village carpenter."
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Today there is a great stirring in the world above this world.
This Christmas Eve when the choirs from our great city churches
gather around the living tree that comes to visit Times Square, and
when the people of Becharre, far away in the Lebanon hills, go
through the snowy night, singing and carrying their lanterns to the
village sanctuary there will be also a mighty convocation in the
ether of those freed spirits who have achieved the heights since
last the Christmas carols escended from the hearts of earth to the
great Heart of Heaven. And if we shall listen in the innermost
of our being, who knows that we too may not hear the echo of a
heavenly host chanting the poetry of that world beyond this world?
I
�DECEMBER, 1931
17
Blithesome Boy
I think he was a blithesome Boy.
I think his words were clear and free;
I think he was as straight and brown
As some young tree.
I think his laugh rang down the wind.
I think he tossed his tumbled hair
And flung a snatch of simple song
Upon the air.
I think he lingered on the hills,
And learned the magic of the grass;
And knew the heart of every tree
That saw him pass.
And heard upon the mountain-top
The distant singing in the sun
From cedar branches blowing green
On Lebanon.
I
I think he came to Mary's door
With eager homeward-running feet,
And to his hungry human mouth
Her bread was sweet.
Yet he himself was bread, and wine,
And olive-branch and cedar tree,
And grass, and star, and shining depth
Of Galilee.
Oh, he was laughter and delight,
And he was pain, and tears, and death,
And every suffering, and joy
Of Nazareth.
He was all silence, and all song;
He was a cross, a diadem;
The Man of Sorrows, and the Babe
Of Bethlehem.
BARBARA YOUNG
from The Keys of Heaven
�IS
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Christmas Poetry
STILL THERE IS BETHLEHEM
All love and mystery in one little face.
All light and beauty in a single
star
That rose among the shadows, pure
and far,
Above an humble place.
All heaven in song upon a lonely hill,
Earth listening, fain and still.
The long years go; the old stars rise
and set,
Dreams perish, and we falter in
the night.
Still there is Bethlehem; could heart
forget
That loveliness, that light?
Shadows there are, but who shall
fail for them?
Still there is Bethlehem.
Nancy Byrd Turner
in Good Housekeeping.
CAROL
The Christ Child lay on Mary's lap,
His hair was like a light.
(Oh, weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)
The Christ ChUd lay on Mary's breast,
His hair was like a star.
(Oh, stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)
The Christ Child stood on Mary's knee,
His hair was like a crown.
And all the flowers looked up at
Him
And all the stars looked down.
Gilbert Keith Chesterton.
SECOND COMING
He found us like the deathly thief
In all our night of unbelief;
A new star, like the Magi's gem
Above a blind new Bethlehem.
He lighted up the little way
Of men lost fearfully in clay.
Firefly or foxfire he was not,
But some eternal burning spot.
Some fagot that the gods forgot,
Some alien torch that dropped in place
From bonfires on the fields of space;
With beauty almost blasphemous
He aureoled and haloed us.
And we who had not known before
The white of daisies by a door,
The white of cloud and sycamore,
Knew suddenly the feathered frond
Of angel's wings—and worlds beyond.
Though some men craven with their
fear
Shaded their eyes when he grew near,
Some men who did not dread the
glow,
Went close and were translucent so,
With souls like hexagons of snow.
For we who once were darkened glass
Through which men's gazes could not
pass.
Each opened and a rainbow was!
Ernest Hartsock
in The Best Poems of 1931
Thomas Moult.
/
�"DECEMBER, 1931
19
News and Views
By A
STAFF OBSERVER
ARE THESE GREAT MEN REALLY SYRIANS?
/
pAR BE it from us to advance any preposterous claim calculated
to nourish an unseemly racial vanity. But we cannot very well
omit, for the purpose of historical record, reference to some facts
which every now and then creep into public print and have a direct
bearing on Syrian ethnology. Our excuse is that since others discuss such matters openly we are entitled to the same privilege." In
saying this we do not mean to be apologetic; simply modest!
Upon the visit of Premier Laval of France to the United
States reference often was made in the American press to the fact
that he was of Arab blood. A writer in the New York Sun was so
positive of this fact that he attributed to it not only the French
Premier's "extreme swarthiness of complexion but also the impregnable placidity he exhibited in trying circumstances." A Syrian
lady who attended the dinner given in the Premier's honor in New
York called the office of the Syrian World the following day to
break the glad news that M. Laval was not only Arab but Syrian.
The secret had been revealed to her, she said, by someone who was in
a position to know, and we knowing the lady to be of judicious discernment were strongly inclined to credit her report, but for fuller
confirmation sought information of one of our French friends in
New York, M. H. Jules-Bois, a scholar and author of standing who
had lectured at the French Institute on the career of M. Laval under the official auspices of the French consul. M. Jules-Bois neither
affirmed nor denied, simply confining himself to the statement
that he did not know sufficiently about M. Laval's ancestry to render
eoKtscientious judgment. He was positive, however, that the distinct in France in, which M., Laval was.born is known to have been
settled by Moors centuries back, and the report that he had Arab
blood in his veins might not be devoid of truth.
•
So much for the' Premier of France. The other great man of
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
our time who is persistently referred to as a Syrian, and sometimes is
attacked for being one, is Arturo Calles, the strong man of Mexico.
Reference was often made in the pages of the Syrian World to the
«?i -?at ^fiieS WaS frecluently called by his political opponents
111-lurco The Turk. Some Catholic papers in the United States
who resented Calles' attitude toward the church traced his genealogy and asserted that his father was a Syrian immigrant who had
started as a peddler and later settled in the interior of Mexico as a
farmer and trader. It must be borne in mind that all Syrians
whether in the United States or in Mexico, were formerly classed
as lurks in the immigration records. In declaring their country of
origin they were entered as Turks because they were under Turkish
rule. Hence the contention of a Federal Judge in one of the Circuit Courts of the South that the Syrians were not eligible to American citizenship because they were of Mongol blood, the Turks being
originally of Mongol stock, and the Syrians, because they were under Turkish rule, were consequently Mongols. This view would
appear preposterous on the face of it, but the Syrians, nevertheless,
had to carry the case to the United States Supreme Court to prove
their descent from the white race.
This is by way of demonstrating how public conceptions are
at times deceiving, and why Calles should be called a Turk although
a Syrian. Calles himself is not known to have ever denied it In
the face of all attacks levelled upon -him in the heat of political
campaigns, he is not known to have uttered a word of explanation
as to his racial origin. He took the attitude that if his opponents
chose to call him a Syrian or a Turk, let them howl to their heart'content. He is what he is, a true Mexican determined to bring order out of chaos in that troubled country. This he seems to have
succeeded in doing with a display of energy, generalship and statesmanship that have won him great admiration. Perhaps in later
years, when his biography as the political saviour of Mexico is
written, his descent will be traced back to its true origin For the
present let us be content to advance the claim as it stands While
not positively claiming Calles as a Syrian, we cannot help recording
the fact that he is "accused" of being one.
Altogether out of this class, but equally famous in his own line,
is another celebrity whom some claim to be a Syrian. We refer
to that undefeated champion in the pugilistic ring Mr Gene
Tunney, the battling marine of pronounced literary proclivities.
Ihe Arabic press of New York on several occasions made capital of
the rumor that Mr. Tunney is none other than the son of Peter
/
I
�'DECEMBER, 1931
/ i
nI
if
I)
21
Touma, one of the famous companions of the Lebanese hero Joseph
Bey Karam who fought the Turks to preserve the independence of
Mt. Lebanon. Touma is credited with having attacked a Turkish
mountain battery single-handed, and after putting to rout the gunners shouldering the cannon and carrying it triumphantly to his own
camp. There does not seem to be as much substantiation for Tunney's claim, however, as for the others.
Of more intimate relation to the subject under discussion is
the revelation of the extent of Arab influence in the Argentine
Republic which came about as a result of the last revolution in
that country and caused the downfall of President Irigoyen in the
fall of 1930. The President was represented as the last of the caudillos, the fierce Arab horsemen credited with having brought about the
Republic's existence. An account of their romantic activities was
published in the October, 1930 issue of the Syrian World, from
which we reprint the following extract as reported by a staff correspondent of the New York Times writing from Buenos Aires:
"*** The downfall of Dr. Irigoyen definitely marks a new
era in Argentine history m an even more romantic sense, for it means
the passing from history of the old caudillos (pettv chieftains),
who were a product of gaucho civilization on the Pampas. Argentine owes its very existence to these gauchos who were wild nomad
horsemen, whose fathers handed down to them the Moorish blood
they brought from Spain in the days of the conquest and whose
mothers were South American Indians.
"The gauchos retained many characteristics of their Arabian
ancestors who had overrun Spain, and they formed a barrier between
the tiny outposts of civilization and the wild Indians of Pampas
who until the late '80s resisted Argentina's efforts to establish herself as a nation. ****The caudillos led the numerous civil wars
which for so many years retarded Argentine progress until another
gauch caud]llo, Juan Manuel de Rosas, set himself up as dictator
and ruthlessly wiped out all other caudillos who opposed him, thus
paving the way for organized government in Argentine ' Dr
Irigoyen is the last of the caudillos."
Commenting on this news at the time of its publication over a
year ago, the Syrian World made the following observations: "Had
a Syrian or Arab writer laid claim at any time to the Arab's exercising such a great influence in the social and political order of a
new and progressive country in the New World such as the Argentine Republic, his claim would have been branded as preposterous
Immediately the accusation would be made that we would want
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
to claim everything for the Arabs, the Phoenicians and other Eastern
peoples ***In the present case the Arabs are not advancing any
claim of influence. They are accused of having it
****That
this influence did not prevail until the end is not the question as
much as its having existed and lasted for so long a time in the history of Argentine, and having been so strong as to be the cause for
the safety of the country while it lasted."
ORIGIN OF CHIVALRY
|N A SERIES of articles by Karl K. Kitchen on present conditions
in Soviet Russia now appearing in the New York Sun, this American writer offers what may seem a novel explanation of the Russians apparent lack of chivalry towards women as compared with
other European races. Here are his exact words:
"It might not be amiss to explain one reason for the equality
of the sexes in the Soviet Union. The bulk of the races that inhabited this part of Europe did not take part in the great crusades
durmg the Middle Ages. The idea of chivalry never came into
their lives. Consequently women were never placed on a pedestal '
as they were in many other parts of Europe. And that is why today
women are treated exactly the same as men, in every phase of life
as well as before the law.
"This also explains the bad manners, or at least the lack of
consideration, which the vast majority of Russians have for women
And, on the other hand, it accounts for the sturdy type of selfsupporting, self-reliant woman that is encountered on every side "
The plain deduction is that chivalry, as it is known in Europe,
originated in the East as a result of the crusades. And it naturally
follows that it originated in Syria since Syria was the theatre of
war m those days and the main object of the crusades was to free
the Holy Land from the domination of the Moslems, and the Holv
Land is a part of Syria. The crusaders learned the rudiments of
chivalry from their opponents and brought it back to their homeands where it bloomed into its present form. Russia apparently
lacks chivalry because it did not contribute its quota to the host of
the crusaders.
There is no dearth of English literature on this subject Onlv
recently our Syrian scholar, Prof. Philip K. Hitti of Princeton
wrote a treatise on this subject which appeared in the April 1931
!
mi
ll
�H
1
DECEMBER, 1931
23
issue of the Syrian World. Those of our readers who desire further
enlightenment on this interesting topic may profitably refer to that
article, or better still, they may refer to his lengthy work on the
subject entitled'the Memoirs of Usamah, an Arab Syrian Gentleman
and Warrior in the Times of the Crusaders, published by the Columbia University Press.
EAST AND WEST
The following is an editorial of the New York Times of
December 7.
£)EDICATION of a building at the University of Chicago devoted to the investigation of early man—a building which
"finds no parallel in any other University, either in America or
abroad"—draws the Near East still nearer to the West. It is
in the East that the origins of the civilization we have inherited
are for the most part hidden; and the Oriental Institute under
Western skies seeks now to help man in a literal sense to "orient"
himself—to get his bearings and see in true perspective the history
of the human race. Especially is it to help bridge the gap between
the savage of the paleontologist and the historian's story of the
people who emerge in Europe as "civilized" beings.
Dr. James H. Breasted, with his general headquarters in this
building, has an army of diggers not alone with spades but also
with modern excavating enginery, directed by an archaeological staff,
on a 3,000-mile front, stretching frpm Luxor in Egypt northward
past Sinai, through Palestine and Syria to the uplands of Anatolia,
eastward and southward across Mesopotamia to Persepolis in Persia.
Many other groups are making independent research, but for the
first time a single organization is able to "control and correlate" research and excavation throughout the leading early civilization in a
"single composite construction" of the pre-European course of human life, when for thousands of years man was advancing along a
front as wide as the United States.
Of special significance is the evidence that in this period man
in Egypt began "to hear remote voices that proclaimed the utter
futility of material conquest." It was then that "conscience and
character broke upon the world." The coffin lids of Egyptians five
hundred years after the Pyramid age and millennials B. C. revealed
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
Ldshelfen" "^
bey nd
°
** ***"*** of food and drink
In the spacious walls of the Oriental Institute the East walks
again „ its beauty and majesty, but with sobering if hot fHghtontS
rssa past srv*? r ?
every bject
° ~ssni
were mmona
Y!
^ °J *?&**** that dreamed they
I^llM" , k
• ^/^ earthen fact is touched by the spirit of
n deaf T * ^ * ^ °n aS a ^mbo1 of druggie towa^
an ideal. The great winged bull that looks with steady eazeTto
mlTLWOdd "^ ^ bUt aU ear1^ d
oi human ni|ht-th
aPPeanng ab Ve the WmgS the stre
Sstin/th
, u°
'
"gth ^ the bull sug
Strden. ^ °f ^ ""** ** ^ *** «« P^ of beasl
it k iVCn-if thCSe rdiCS °f ' dead past cause disquiet in these days
~TrZ t ^Th^"'- Wkh Mn Fosdi^ peaking m th£
5S SaHf hi» the.a»?n«uW Peril that develops the human
spirit that ,t has, been ,n times of instability and not in hours nf
£llife'o? m^ grT,teSt C°ntributi0- "-been made to the cul
presLSav nhT' k ' *? ^ tdls US' b the words of a great
OMAR KHAYYAM-HIS GRAVE AND SHIRAZ WINE.
A RECENT press dispatch from Teheran announces that the
Persian government had decided to raise a tomb over the grave
of her great national poet Omar Khayyam, of Rubaiyat fame
whose remains reposed for nearly eight centuries at aXtance of
about four miles from Nishapur, where he was born almost un
marked and ,n a deplorable state of neglect. This tore7of the"
Persians in their famous poet is comparatively ^^SSd^fe
through the greater interest displayed in him by hi Western ad
SatilofTr0
aPP
rr -hiS P^^-P^y through the master^
Z I
L Fitzgerald. It ,s a well known fact that the Tentmaker, although famous as a mathematician and astronomer did
not enjoy among his countrymen the reputation of Hafiz aTd Sa'di
as a poet. Actually it was Fitzgerald who established Omar'
ThlS ]S
the
SetSnltor^r^ °onnethe
°f original,
""*practicallv
-^ants create,
wTi
the translator, by his improvement
a luminous and glamorous spirit out of wta^JS£~£3T
This does not preclude the other fact that in most caL the transla-
�'DECEMBER, 1931
/
25
tion never comes up to the standard of the original.
In commenting on the proposed action of the Persian government, the New York Sun quotes Professor A. V. Williams Jackson
of the department of Indo-Iranian languages of Columbia University, as describing Omar's tomb as "a simple case of bricks and
cement. Vandal scribblers, found in Persia as in every other land,
have desecrated it by scratching their names and making random
scrawls. A stick of wood, a stone and some fragments of shards
profaned the top of the sarcophagus at the time we saw it. There
was nothing else**** There were no evidences of the roses which
Omar had wished might mark his burial place, neither was there
fulfillment of his prediction that roses would fall in showers upon
his grave**** We wished for a taste from that jug of wine made
famous by Omar's line. Our messenger returned after a search
round the town, only to bring a vile specimen of Russian vodka."
This condition finds its counterpart in the grave of the other
Eastern poet Abul'Ula whose English translator is our own Syrian
poet Ameen Rihani. The philosophy of the Syrian poet transcends
that of the Persian. He is styled by some of his admirers as the
Oriental Dante. He antedates both Dante and Omar, and even has
a work on an imaginary visit to the nether regions, Risalat al Ghufran, much similar to Dante's Inferno. He also gave expression
to much of Omar's later philosophical tenets, but he did not sing of
wine and women and roses in such manner as to appeal to the popular fancy.
Why these and other Oriental poets are more honored abroad
than at home provokes thought. They live and die in want, although their songs are on the lips of city dwellers and desert
travelers. They give out of the overflowing of their hearts and
do not invoke copyright laws. Just how much Western poets are
subject to the same lot would bear discussion. But we do not wish
to trespass on the Poetry Department.
The remark of Professor Jackson on Persian wine is equally
interesting. For vile vodka to supplant the fine Persian wine is
tragic. Especially that one of the finest brands of European wine
owes its fame and popularity to Persian origin. This is on the
authority of the late Khalil Bey Aswad, a Syrian scholar who died
a few years ago in New York and had resided for a considerable
time in Persia. Cherry wine, he explained, is not a concoction of the
cherry fruit, but was so named after a certain method of brewing.
Originally it was known as "cherries wine," which is a corruption of
the original name of Shiraz wine, the similarity of sound being ob-
>
�26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
wi
t°nL ShJnZ 7*- in °ther WOrds "Persi
"e," was famous
m olden times for its superior quality, and when h* Portw^
first began to trade with Persia they discovered these virtuf of
Sh.raz wine, "which flows in the veins like liquid fire" TheV im
underwent ttie
tet^ZT
^^ * *
unuerwent
process of corruption.
^^
namc which
^*
PROMOTING RELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDS
JHlF AMERICAN HEBREW, Jewish national ^ , is
per
'
I
between
3
'JT^
^ fo8terin
* better
ng
between Ch'ri
Christian
and
Jew in America
and has
given "nde^id
a gold medaf
to be awarded each year to the "outstanding cSributoTto TntrT
religious comity and understanding." The movement w!
The very tact that such a movement has been «fJ,^
J
meeting with the approval of leading m n m„ ,g cLr fanTand
Jews indicates the existence of an amount of ill-wifl and mfsundTr
^andmg that is bound to be harmful if allowed to go u"he ked"
check k{s
.he eEf/tT:::? ?
0
ry
* ****** ^ =5
m t,ga,e
Lan Hebrew sS :S"o°do '° '
"' ThiS " Wh« tfe A «
The gratifying feature of the movement is that \t « k :
done with a method. People of the West work along^e piLs and
their efforts are consequently rewarded with success W "f the
East conceive of brilliant ideas and act on them Siv i response
to sudden impulses, and fail to achieve lasting result's The ex
ample of the West should carry a lesson.
" "*"
the n.T thC pr°mulgation of the Ottoman Constitution in iyU
1908
the people went into transports of iov and Ch ,'
° .
°
Moslem Sheikhs were known to hav^em^c5ouS]f^ "
structure ot the btate. Representation n Lebanon also is deter
ter
mmed along religious lines.
"
.
ft
�DECEMBER, 1931
BAHIA AL-MUSHEER,
27
Editor
THE DIETETIC VALUE OF SYRIAN FOOD
Y^ERY often we hear Syrian parents remark (and some complain)
that their children have lost their taste for Syrian dishes and
speculate about the cause, advancing theories for it, sometimes
rational and sometimes otherwise. That a large percentage of our
children partake of Syrian dishes under protest is, I regret to say, a
fact. It makes it hard for the old folks because they enjoy the
dishes on which they were brought up, and they consider it an unnecessary sacrifice on their part to submit to the whims of their offsprings. To him who appreciates the value of diet, this attitude of
our young generation should be a cause of great concern. I say this
because of my conviction, which is based on study, that our dishes in
their dietary values and in their flavor, are second to none. Here
I want to take exception to the statement often voiced by some to
the effect that Syrian dishes are, as they put it, "heavy", meaning of
course that one's stomach feels overloaded after finishing with a
meal. As a matter of fact, it is not that the dish in itself is "heavy"
but that the portion of it with which they load their stomachs is excessive. I will admit one point, however, and that is this: By faulty
preparation, one will make any dish "heavy" and indigestible. For
instance, what can be worse than "Dawood Basha" served with a
half inch of fat floating on the surface of its gravy, and the rice
swimming in butter? So when I say faulty preparation I mean the
Jack of judgment in the balancing of the ingredients, and the
failure in cooking or rather curing of them. Then there is the
question of the combination of dishes. In this we often make
grave mistakes, especially when we have guests and are afraid lest
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
m olden times for its superior quality, and when the Portuguese
first began to trade with Persia the/ discovered these vTrufTTi
Shiraz wine, "which flows in the veins like liquid hre.» The im
gm
undent
T'corruption.
^ " itS °ngmal
underwent thet
the process of
1
name which
» *«
PROMOTING RELIGIOUS UNDERSTAND!MrMERIC AN HEBREW
TTe fn
f
' ^^o^^,
is
f r foSt
b
bet^L^SS^
^rr^l
°
.
-^
^ter underLnding
oetween Lhristian and Jew ,n America and has given a eold medal
to be awarded each year to the "outstanding contnbutor to mtra
religious comity and understanding."
The movement w,
fc
PiiritYv} iV. loin
J r
i
iuu\ement was inau-
Ihe very fact that such a movement has been «t*r^
J
izi
I eeffoi ^h';:;^ ?checkm * isgateby rec°»"
"g £££*£
TWS is Wh
the Am
ica!, Hebrew S«°OU "OT' " '"
"
"
"
The gratifying feature of the movement is rhit ;. ;. u„done w,th a method. People of the West wlT
f
their efforts are conseque^tlyfetrf d Uh sutsf "^rfthe
East co„ce,ve of brilliant ,deaS and act on them h dy in respo.se
Moslem Sheikhs were bi, to tl^S^SS^t^
n the course of popular demonstrations. This seems to have h" n
but a momentary flare which soon died out. wS, the firs,exdte
structure oi the bta^e. Representation n Lebanon also lb
is defer
deter
mined along religious lines.
"
�DECEMBER, 1931
BAHIA AL-MUSHEER,
27
Editor
THE DIETETIC VALUE OF SYRIAN FOOD
y/ERY often we hear Syrian parents remark (and some complain)
that their children have lost their taste for Syrian dishes and
speculate about the cause, advancing theories for it, sometimes
rational and sometimes otherwise. That a large percentage of our
children partake of Syrian dishes under protest is, I regret to say, a
fact. It makes it hard for the old folks because they enjoy the
dishes on which they were brought up, and they consider it an unnecessary sacrifice on their part to submit to the whims of their offsprings. To him who appreciates the value of diet, this attitude of
our young generation should be a cause of great concern. I say this
because of my conviction, which is based on study, that our dishes in
their dietary values and in their flavor, are second to none. Here
I want to take exception to the statement often voiced by some to
the effect that Syrian dishes are, as they put it, "heavy", meaning of
course that one's stomach feels overloaded after finishing with a
meal. As a matter of fact, it is not that the dish in itself is "heavy"
but that the portion of it with which they load their stomachs is excessive. I will admit one point, however, and that is this: By faulty
preparation, one will make any dish "heavy" and indigestible. For
instance, what can be worse than "Dawood Basha" served with a
half inch of fat floating on the surface of its gravy, and the rice
swimming in butter? So when I say faulty preparation I mean the
lack of judgment in the balancing of the ingredients, and the
failure in cooking or rather curing of them. Then there is the
question of the combination of dishes. In this we often make
grave mistakes, especially when we have guests and are afraid lest
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
1 Let
Set !" Ir^tfrf :;
h
r **« - * ^
of New England bXTdiJ.
«""H <=Tf at to a meal composed
and pie; We a e servil A
' JT hAed beans> roast beef
manner'they are ser-edf,, A"1"' " ^ * °Ur ,abJe in "><= -e
our guests and "ur ^ "^K? °T' * ,he °*»—« of
ment when we serve our native" dthes"°
* "' "* ""* J"^
I
dishes ^f nltrVVtU" and"" "'" ? ^ aS in fla
«
our forbears, by ns<meteSertce „ "^S" 'SS"e' ' hi"ted that
made us heirs to ,^3
exped,e„ency,or all of these,
feeding. TS statemet may stank Sot am0ng
°f '^
^ "» °*
us who are
ogetic about their race n nd „!
.
*Poling good coming ~ tf ^S^ETS^ £» &
starting po,„t and our younger eenerari
j u
°k to the
wards our native food I seeln rh, 7 i •"" the'r att,tudes t0"
a
down upon what is our own r
A
'°" °" ,he mV w J°ok
telligenf reflectionas!£
H * % ^^ a Study « *say that one shou d be bli, dlv J , "0t mea".f°r one mome'« *>
and his own ways and ta^hlv"' **?"* °^ °f himsdf
s
somewhat like this- "Fat what J
* ^T6 '" Arabic that
others." I should'modi^th fer^'v '
2* pk^
a
* simple as possible^ ft££5 SSfe* »
A MENU FOR AMERICAN GUESTS
I
they have m^J^iS^^T °^
°f °U![ kdish-> -d
01
were good for them I Xit IhTi
' J" ^^
w they
f the
al
a great deal of thought n ordt J makV > SImple
$"?**alatable
°
healthful. Perusal of the mCnU
mlnn ddleS not lve
' P
and
it is a fact.
°
S
^at impression, but
Supposing I should give a sample:—
I
�DECEMBER, 1931
29
Lamb broth with small meat balls, garnished with minced
parsley, and lemon juice.
Mushroom, or Okra, or String Bean Stew with side of rice
Broiled Kibbi
Vegetable salad, lemon juice and oil dressing.
Fruits in season.
15
PROPER ROASTING
JN ROASTING chicken or turkey, let me suggest placing the bird
in the roasting-pan first on one side, then on the other. When
two-thirds done, lay at breast up. This will brown it evenly and
prevent the breast meat and drumsticks from over-cooking and becoming too dry.
HOW LADIES COULD USE IDLE HOURS
i
I
\^/HAT are our young ladies and matrons who have time to spare
doing with it? Time was when they used to pride themselves
on the articles they used to make for their own personal use or for
their future or present homes. I realize that knitting, tatting and
embroidering are passe, still there is something not only beautiful
and useful when it is done, but is fascinating in the making, and
like a fine oriental rug, increases in value as the days go by Moreover it is very fashionable. I refer to needle point Patterns could
be bought with the required yarn for them. I recommend the renaissance design. Some of them have petit-point centers already
worked out and the finished pieces for a chair or cushion have nothing to be desired insofar as artistic effect and richness and durability are concerned. By the way, I read somewhere that there are
2,850 stitches to the square inch in the petit-point work.
But don't be frightened, this comes already worked out in the
pattern and all you have to do is to fill out the needle point part
of it.
*
The best part of it is that you can work on it while listening
to the radio.
°
�r
THE SYRIAN WORLD
30
A Party for Aneesa
A SHORT STORY
By
EDNA
K.
SALOOMEY
"THE SUN snuggled a bit in the misty horizon and then, as though
resigned to December bleakness, it flung its rays through the
morning haze, directly into the windows of the Faris kitchen.
Mariam, wife of Khalil Antoun Faris, was unaware of the
wonderful panorma without, so busy was she preparing Khalil's
breakfast. She hustled from the pantry to the stove, from the
stove to the table.
For twenty years she had been rising early for this daily task.
She would no more have dreamed of remaining asleep and letting
Khalil get his breakfast as best he could, than she would have
thought of being separated from him except by death. This task
was done not from a sense of duty; it was to her a ritual.
In her pink, cotton dress, with her curly black hair, which was
streaked with gray, and her rosy, fair complexion, she was indeed
a delectable housewife. Her black fringed, dark brown eyes had
a very naive, kindly expression which belied all her efforts to appear
as the ultra-modern wife of Khalil Antoun Faris, the successful
merchant. The only streak of vanity she had, was her pride in
having acquired enough knowledge of English to read newspapers.
Her reading was confined mostly to the social page.
Mariam was setting the table for two. Aneesa, a girl of
eighteen and the only child, never arose in time to breakfast with
her parents. By virtue of having completed her high school course
shortly before, which was a rare achievement in the eyes of her
parents, Aneesa was privileged to sleep late.
The glowing coals in the grate made the kitchen pleasantly
warm. On top of the stove, the coffee bubbled tempestuously in
the percolator. To one side was a frying-pan in which eggs were
sizzling in elive oil. On the table was a dish of fat, juicy olives
which had ripened in some Syrian grove; a dish of laban, and one
of dates stewed in sugar. There were small, flat disks of Syrian
bread, baked especially for Khalil. Mariam did not like to see him
"»
i\
�"DECEMBER, 1931
'.
I
I
31
making cartwheel of slices of American bread, which he did by removing the inner part and eating the crust.
When Khalil entered the kitchen, he found his wife placing
the frying-pan of eggs on a hot-pad in the middle of the table. He
greeted her perfunctorily and she answered him in the same vein.
Their love needed no verbal reiterations or effusive greetings.
"How do you feel this morning? Is your cold better?" she
asked solicitously.
"I'm much better. I didn't cough very much during the
night. This looks like a cold day. I expect we'll sell some blankets and oil stoves today. Are you coming down to the store?"
Khalil had a department store and always thought of the
weather in terms of his business.
"Yes. Aneesa needs a new hat, and she and I are going down
town together. I think I'll select a party dress for her at the same
time."
"Party dress? What, does she need another one already?"
Manam did not answer his question. Quite frequently since
he married her, she had surprised him with some new idea; and
this time, she took a round about way to do it.
"I was reading last night about the big partv the Morgans
gave for their daughter, and I think we ought to give a party for
Aneesa," she said.
"What, are you comparing us with J. P. Morgan?"
"No, no. Habeebi, do you think I've lost my mind? I mean
the Morgan family that owns the big laundrv in town. You've '
seen their ads, haven't you?"
_ "Certainly, I have; but I don't know all about their family
affairs."
"Well," she said eagerly trying to arouse his interest, "they
have a daughter the same age as Aneesa, and they had a wonderful dance for her last night at the hotel."
"If they sneeze, do we have to sneeze too?" He was not impressed by the information, nor convinced of the necessity of having a party for Aneesa.
"Every night I read in the papers about this family and that
having parties for their daughters. Why, do you suppose, they
have these affair*? Well, just ^o that their daughters ran meet the
nice kind of people. How do you expect Aneesa to meet anybody,
if she doesn't have a chance?"
"If that's the case," he answered, "what more do we want?
DonV. we have a lot of company? Weren't the Doumits here last
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
night, and wasn't the family nf R„u
and weren't Father Daher and ,1 ^J- i Tbn« us on Tuesday,
people come to cur house ''
^ ^ h$t Week! M V
II
frie„dsD° T
vZk^T !° ""* ''< ^ m«ts «* Y
d Mr Ab
bond's broeherh „ i; fotnseveenmeTre *??"
"
"
her t0 meet more
young people, and you know fh" /
JT
house, she can't become ,
!» We don < lnvite them to the
instan'ce, Peter Mansour" '"^ W'th them d*«*^- For
ft
TO
to
to vigour ^me^l'Stw » IT '"
^ "'duce him
enough for him wltolTvin7a X-^ °» ^ —
(
Wm
too obvi uTwav' "ifwe^ave """ 7' hI "S,
° "'"* w
» - «*
W,il see h
how pretty Aneesa is I,
I ^7' f
e live, and
Pretend„. we're
ha", J*
/ Vu^
"' *rfolks
^" dress' We'll
,
.f; aa trtv
Party lor
the young
I1
R
wished «o8have her'wifn us'a h7 1 " »' * f *»
when we have to do the courting »
" tlmesth«e are,
Ws
and
tor
needed!
^t^
^
^
«-«*
was necessary XllS' to obtan, his approval, which
asked for his approval if e
fnakm
fu-'"8 °' m°ney' She always
"We would,V I, T
""
S y expensive plan
the C
in
Sht
Si
"We h v;I « 2 ±S?! , T f'"
' "" P- ^"tly.
Why shou,d
different fron other people J^ ^^
We could have sucn ffc^S^ ** **
3 P raSan eVMin
25?FS
tdT I '
;
^ >*
Child
?
«" -W-W to him.
termed, he w'Lsplbl 0
^ he nThl'""' *
.T* * mi?ht b=
a d he
hospitalitywathtvpicalSvrh ! t T
^ "
dispensed his
a
S
He
than hava'ng a h, useful 0wl f'r - u fJ^ nothing more
perfect evening for na SSu off 'fF
'? "T ^^ A
feW fr,ends
dred or pinochle.
"
Paying two hum
So, as he arose from thp tiU]„ „„A
We
eoat, he said hurriedly "IV 1 '
'" t0 PUt on his hat and
P r per
Mariam, we're not worry ill
?'"'" f , ° - B"t, remember,
and all Peter Mansour's Ze
" ""t^ f°r 0Ur *««**
his family in ^Z^Zy
,"0'^ to ""• Wh« ~
to- "7Z^^m7£l^^^"^
'
>
wiJJ become worse."
ULir colcl
^^^^^^
-
-
'
•
i n
�DECEMBER, 1931
n
Mariam had obtained official approval of her plan. She bemmenT i^Y engrOSS'd 'm ^ranging the party as any socially proWJth the aid
mar
e for
^T*A
"^ ^
**""*»*
retaries
her daughter's
debut **'
at the
Waldorf-Astoria °* secAnd, after giving his approval, Mr. Paris completely forgot
X*e e,nt'rI matt5r' u»tiJ °
^ning, three weeks later, his
Hire reminded him of it.
^ordered a turkey for tomorrow night," she informed him.
J,, Cyr , loU r^°,ng to give us turkey for Christmas dinnpi,
nei * It s six days to Christmas."
"No, no. I ordered it for the party."
"Party? What party?"
''What? Have you fogotten that we're having a partyy tomorrow night for Aneesa?"
'-Would you believe it, I forgot all about it? Who and who
is coming: '
rfrf, ' oathec Pah"r' ?T/
Ph in
ATK
1 M
^ ' iT-
Mansour
> *** Khouri, the Milhim
Cr Sim0U and Nazira D Umit
r '
°
> and
Ihilip Abboud and his wife Helany. I asked Simon and Philip
especially for your sake so that you would have company when the
yoi-ng people dance. Father Uaher will have to leave early because he promised to see some people to-morrow evening " ' '
Are you prepared for such a large group? Shall I order
anything today:"
"Nothing is needed," his wife assured him. "Shall we hive
arak or imbeed?"
"Have both, and I've got something that Simon likes. What
are you going to have for the supper, turkey?"
His wife put his fears to rest regarding the pkntifulness of
food .he named six dishes, any one of which would have sufficed
tor the mam course.
He was satisfied with everything, until she said, "Khali!
take yorr tuxedo to the tailor today for a pressing "
^Tuxedo? What for? I'm not going to a banquet."
1 his is a formal party, and you should wear your tuxedo "
Suppose Simon and Philip come and- find me wearing a
tuxedo, when they surely won't wear one."
"Is this their party? You're the owner of this house, and
you re the one to wear a tuxedo tomorrow night. Peter Mansour
will wear one, I'm sure."
"Well," he drawled, "from now till tomorrow night
I'll
6
think about it."
'
�*"***•
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Mariam Fans had won her point again
UherVrU anticiPa,ted the Party wit" more pleasure than Aneesa.
It her mother was planning it especially that Peter Mansour might
open his eyes to Aneesa's charms, she was as ignorant of that plan
as nt was. Her joy was inspired by the anticipation of seeing Paul
Mumer whom she liked better than any boy she had evef met
She really loved him, which fact she would not have discussed eTe
ment wT° " 2? ^ ^ *"** j" loVe ^ one's engage
Z Ihter "n!10UnCfd- A"d Aneesa, being the typical, obedient
yP , C nSer VatlVe Parents l0Ved Paul from
Shes,whim
•
r K °on the
"far.
L street when ' passing with her mother
SAe saw h.m ,n church,
ind aiin '
T um at ChUrch S0daIs' hdd °»ce « winter
S Cials Paul alwaVS asked A
d cat h HSPnnWh,C
^- u^ th£Se
°
'
'^sa to
for n *rih
'
V?lS Possible as the dance was being held
to, a worthy cause, and he never danced with any one else
as sh< w-TT " C? u1 ab<i)Ut concealil^ hi* own affections for her
as she was her's for him because he wished to be certain that the
tUal
rC makmg PUWk th£ faCt he J
AsTLTn r
"d ° n
t,ng an inkli
from her
ca
of letting
11
T^
' ' take
*? its own course.
'^
caste of
the matter
oved her!
& was
Paul > was
wisea
n that rs F s was not
de
u"g7t:i
r
^
^
^^
of for a
salary
nhim fo, a son-in-law. HeHwas
wasearning
em edgoodly
at --
:; nd° rr^r- /
a
^ » £2^
too Seated on the outskirts of the town, and his only claim to
Wledge
P,a 1CS Which he had
"
H°
^/^a
of
l „I was
'" entrusted
; WaS rto81^
01 airplanes
him.
Bete/fenSS WaV10t intCrefed in
home Seated
TTf ^^
he JuS"" rt
' '
'~ £
>kiIlt>d aviator and the testing
PauJ
'* Prowess as she was in
°
P-ssive
h ldingS and his im
nCarJy thirt
>'^evc'b which to Aneesa implied that
His^ financial rise had made him a bit conceited and perhaps justifiably so, as he had earned his success by the dint of his own hrewd
ness and tireless efforts. He was much sought after by d signmg
and thc
the Catered
"a ^ et
r't^r
IT*
"^
««
"
°
d 1 I
l
f"^ He respected the Farises
Sh,e
from
a great deal, knowing that to Khalil Faris character and breeding
SUSpectin f r
e
M"
Tl?
« ° °»the
~S32
M.s. FarTwh
Fans, who "
was"""^
so Proud,
had even entertained
thought of
^B*"**mBJBBnHHHBHisF
�DECEMBER, 1931
35
his marrying Aneesa; so discreet had she been in her planning.
The night of nights arrived. Mariam Fans was too excited at
the prospect of having so many guests and by her efforts to carry
our her plans to perfection. She worked unceasingly from dawn
sweeping and dusting, washing the best china dinner set, laving out
her best linen cloth and napkins. She had cooked the entire meal
herself. Aneesa had shopped for fruits and had arranged the
flowers in the living room and dining room.
When Khalil returned from his store that night, he found
Mariam wearing a black velvet dress; her hair lovelier than ever;
her face rosy with excitement, and her eyes sparkling with the
thought of gaining many social laurels for the evening.
She scarcely said hello to him, she, was so anxious to have him
dress quickly.
"Yallah," she urged him, "everything is ready for vou
I
.pressed your tuxedo myself yesterday, and you'll find it on the bed
I our socks and tie are on the dresser. I purposely dressed early so
that we wouldn't get in each other's way."
"All right," was all he said. He knew that the occasion demanded acquiesence because Mariam was too intently thinking about
other things to listen to anything he might say. He didn't like to
rush, he preferred to contemplate everything slowly and to talk
matters over with her. But as they had no way of knowing how
soon the guests would arrive, it was necessary to be ready in time
to greet the first arrival.
By seven-thirty, every one would have come, except, perhaps,
the Doumits. Mrs. Doumit was a bit like Mariam in her desire to do
everything according to etiquette. She always insisted on her husband's delaying their arrival at any affair, because she was certain
that an early arrival was an indication of lack jf etiquette. The
more attention she gave to etiquette, the less she knew about it.
This evening Mariam was hoping and praving that the Doumits
would not be too long arriving, lest the food spoil from overcooking.
Scarcely had Khalil finished adjusting his tie, when the door
bell rang. Aneesa paused to greet her father, and was going down
to open the door when Mariam stopped her.
"Aneesa, you don't need to open the door. Let Flora open if
that's what I hired her for."
This was the first time that Khalil knew that his wife had
hired a maid for the evening. The thought of Mariam's piling
up so many expenses, all for a party, depressed him a little. His
�mm
36
?
THE SYRIAN WORLD
regrets were compensated, however, by the sight of Mariam looking so charming in her black velvet dress with its dainty lace yoke
andi sleeves; and his heart filled with pride because Aneesa was so
lovely m her white tulle dress with its rose sash.
lhe bell rang again.. Mariam was provoked. «I knew that
VC bC a hdp She thinks Pm
wwash
T dishes
dT r
I ^ P^g her J«st to
tonight. Aneesa, open the door, while I speak to
The guests were certainly convinced of Mariam's culinary
skill that evening. The dinner was excellent; it was a meal for
the imbeed
(wine
and the
lu^Zl- uil r?^ ^
^
"something
else which khalil brought out inspired much speech making. Father Daher spoke eloquently of the host. Mr. Doumit attempted
a lengthy toast in his best classical Arabic, and Philip Abboud was
content to say a brief wish for the health and happiness of all.
Manam was highly elated. The party was proving a huge
success. She was wondering just how to arrange for the rest of
the evening, after everyone had finished eating. Of course, Aneesa
must play a few piano selections.
The guests gathered in the living room. The men sat in a
group near Father Daher, and were soon engrossed in a political
discussion. The young people commenced to feel restless. The girls
talked together and the young men listened dutifully to Father
aher. U hen father Daher arose to leave, every one arose to bid
him good-night.
evn, fWhik unm 7S listening to Father Daher's appreciative
expressions, Khali] took matters into his. own hands.
tUrnmg to
1
ui'" hWill
x^SMdyou
play
pinochle.
playf"
to pkC>e>rtainJy'" ^^
b th
°
Phili
agreed
'
P
and Simon
"We
Want a fourth
"Do you know how to play pinochle, Paul?"
he arranged the bridge table.
2juh * d'd- ^Ut' 1
y U WOn,t be
Peter?"
°
donh kn0w the ki
a hel
P
then
-
Doumit, "Let's
Person
Khalil asked, as
"g from the jack."
about you, Mister
How
wurtalniy'-Mn Faris" VU be glad to Play with you."
\\ hen Manam re-entered the room, after seeing Father Daher
off, she found her husband and his three friends seated around
the table, intent on bidding. She was angry at Khalil for having
suggested the card game,.which she was certain from past experience
he had done. This was. not her idea. If. Peter Mansour spent the
j)
�'DECEMBER, 1931
57
evening playing pinochle what was the good of having this party?
She spoke to Mrs. Doumit and to Mrs. Abboud. The vbung
SoLT ****** kughing,. seated in a circle neaV thf
VKtrola Aneesa was sitting next to Paul, which didn't relieve her
mother's consternation.
Mariam thought of calling Khalil out on a pretext. She went
into the kitchen, and called to Aneesa, asking her to te 1 Kha
that he was wanted. -Aneesa went to her father
"Papa mother wishes to see you for a minute."
But Khalil had an excellent hand and he wanted to score as
^ri^er
erj Philip Abboud
>
TO
i
^ ^* i-s?5
"See what your mother wants, Aneesa. Tell her I'll be
through in a few minutes. Let's see what we can do, partner." He
became oblivious of everything but his game.
Aneesa told her mother that Khalil would come in later
Kh,l^ai]r WaS PrOV(*ecL What was the use of trying to call
Khalil s attention to anything, now that he had started. ' She Jjoined
her friends, Nazira and Helany.
The guests had divided into three groups: the ladies were
grouped by themselves, Khalil and the older men, including Pe
Mansour, were busily playing pinochle, and the younger people
were dancing. Paul Munier was having the best time of a^ he
was dancing to his heart's content with Aneesa
'
ty
Sa
1
one assured
Paris that
tlatesuch
,renjoyable
Ti^
^^
Mariam
*ans
such an
time ^
was had
only rarely. Khalil
felt
grateful inwardly; it had been so pleasant to have had a house fu 1
tS and
feClmg
piilinehhad
H won ^
-Philip
the^
game.
eSpedalJ
^
Cheerful be
--e"e fa,d
her se^tTm^rlf ^^
\^
•* W°uld be P6^ to mention
SC
hlS haVmg draWn Peter
a Ld T
' T r Jf
Mansour into
a card game; and she did not wish Aneesa to know that she had
deliberately planned the evening in order to have Pete- become
better acquainted with them.
income
%
Aneefa^hed Tan^ R^S ^"t "f
5'
"Yes" and W was about ^t^^^^
conversation, which lasted only three minutes or so
"Who was that?" her mother asked, curious to know who
could be calling them after midnight.
"Paul Munier. He called up to say goodnight."
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"What's that?" her father questioned. "He was just here
saying goodnight.
"Well," she answered evasively, "he wanted to call me up to
say it again."
"He certainly must have rushed home," Mariam said.
"He wants to come over tomorrow night," Aneesa announced
shyly. "He wants to speak to you, papa, and to mama. He asked
me if I would like to have him speak to you, and I didn't say no;
I didn't say anything."
"What's this? What's this?" Khalil asked.
"Why, he wants to marry Aneesa and he will come over to get
our approval," Mariam replied, impatiently and resentfully. She
was blaming this turn of affairs on Khalil's card party, which had
thrown Paul and Aneesa together and deprived Peter Mansour of
an opportunity to observe Aneesa's charm. She was tired by the
thought of having done so much in vain.
"We'll discuss the matter tomorrow," she told Aneesa. "It's
very late, we should go to bed. I have to be up early to get your
father's breakfast."
"I'll get up early tomorrow, mama. You stay in bed," Aneesa
urged her. She felt that she would want to be up early, there was
so much to look forward to; and she knew how tired her mother
must be. .
"Don't you believe it," her mother answered firmly. "When
I have a fever of 102, I'll stay in bed. You go up to bed now, else
you will be too tired tomorrow to help me with the work that
needs to be done."
"Good night, papa. • Good night, mama," Aneesa said, kissing
them.
"Good night Aneesa. By the way, what time is Paul coming
over tomorrow night?"
"He didn't say, papa. But he told me to tell you that he will
learn to play pinochle and that at present all he knows is a queen
when he sees one. He means me, papa."
�39
.BER, 1931
VECF
100K REVIEWS
JANei
A BOOK OF SENTIMENT AND FACT ON A GREAT
SYRIAN POET
A Study of Kahlil Gibran, by Barbara Young. Privately
printed First Edition limited to 250 copies numbered and autographed by the author. The Gibran Studio, 5 1 West 10th Street,
New York. $2.50.
In this handsomely printed brochure on her friend Kahlil
Gibran, Barbara Young writes not as a dry biographer citing facts
in chronological order, but as a poet who records her impressions of
the great epic poem that was Gibran's life. Dexterously she outlines his racial background, giving a glimpse of the rustic surroundings, almost feudal conditions in which he was born and reared,
but does so subtly, almost unconsciously alluding to the facts only
as details in the broad scheme depicting the many-sided genius of
Gibran. And of the intimate details of his earlier and later life she
has copious knowledge, gained through her long friendship and literary association with this gifted son of Lebanon who has won by his
innate goodness of character and consummate perfection of his art,
both of pen and brush, the love and admiration of so many kindred
spirits among the children of the West. Even to us, his own countrymen, some of the details weaved into the mosaic of the account
came as a revelation of the author's vast store of accurate and intimate knowledge. It is apparent that only Gibran himself could
have supplied the information, in reminiscent moments when the
two friends discussed their earlier lives and later aspirations. And
this Miss Young now uses so well in producing this "Study of
Kahlil Gibran," which is as much a fitting tribute to his greatness
as a monument to her own great devotion.
1
PHHHBnHHnnRMHpnn
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
KAHLIL OIBRAN
Photographed in his studio by Mrs. Pliny Fisk a few
weeks before his death. From "A Study of Kahlil Gibran."
�DECEMBER, 1931
41
The, illustrations in the booklet, some consisting of hitherto
unpublished photographs of Gibran, and to which only Miss Young
seems to have access, span the whole life of the poet-artist from
his early youth to his closing days. A facsimile of an original manuscript and a pen-and-ink sketch by Gibran done in his student days
in Paris add considerably to the value of the work.
It is evident that Miss Young does not intend her present
work to be a complete biography. It is an appreciative study, but
nevertheless factual and illuminating. It is most welcome as an
authentic, and so far the only literary treatise extant, on Gibran's
life. For this Miss Young can lay just claim to the gratitude of
Gibran's countrymen, who surely wish to assure her of it unstintingly. In years to come, it is their hope that she will accomplish
her announced task of making a fuller study of Gibran with a viewto a more complete biography.
RESURRECTING THE GLORY OF SYRIA
History of Palestine and Syria, by Prof. A. T. Olmstead, New
York, Charles Scribner's Sons. 644 pp. Illustrated. $7.50.
pHERE IS a group of men in the West whose devotion to the
cause of scientific research, backed by the wealth of organizations
and individuals who appreciate the importance of retrieving the
hitherto lost record of human progress, is bringing untold blessings
to human enlightenment. These men are practically recreating
history. They have resurrected the East and restored to it its
prestige as the cradle of the race and the birthplace of civilization.
In the words of Prof. James H. Breasted at the dedication of the
Oriental Institute, "It was in the Near Orient that man began to
hear remote voices that proclaimed the utter futility of material
conquest, and conscience and character broke upon the world."
Professor Olmstead is a co-worker with Professor Breasted
at the Oriental Institute. His latest book on the history of Palestine and Syria is a companion volume to his earlier History of Assyria and represents the summary of all historical records, whether
long known or of recent discovery, in Syria and the Near East from
the beginning of time to the Macedonian conquest. The work bespeaks the most exhaustive thoroughness and scholarly research.
As a book of reference it is invaluable, but it can also be highly
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
recommended as a readable book on general historical information.
The author has the happy faculty of creating "atmosphere", of
treating what would be generally considered dry, technical material in a manner readily understood and relished by the layman, although never swerving from his objective and incorporating in his
account all the scholarly information he means to convey. As
such it proves useful not only to the scholar but to the general
reading public. Those whose racial origin is rooted in Near Eastern
countries should be particularly interested in this work.
Porfessor OJmstead covers t\e whole range of the history of
the land and its people from all angles. He treats the physical,
political, social, ethnological and religious evolution in its various
stages. His account of the origin of Eastern mythology, the relation between the Syrian and Egyptian conception of a deity, and
how several forms of Eastern worship were borrowed from the
East by Western Europe will prove particularly illuminating. He
displays a keen sense of appreciation of some concepts in Syrian mythology whose poetical value modern rationalists spoil by matterof-fact interpretation.
The chapter on "Ships of Gebal", which is exceptionally interesting, is partly based on the author's personal survey of the
Syrian coast which once was the scene of the flourishing civilization
of which he writes. Of exceptional interest also is the fact he establishes that monotheism was known to Syrians and Egyptians
Jong before it was adopted by the Hebrews. So were "the races
which were to enter into the composition of the Hebrew people
established in Syria a millenium or more before the conquest of
the Promised Land. The very language in which our Old Testament is written was spoken by Canaanites and Phoenicians from
these same early days. Already Syria possessed a high culture,
mixed to be sure with foreign elements, but made its own; before
the Hebrew conquest, its civilization might be compared without
disparagement to that of the great empires."
The dedication is made to Professor James Henry Breasted,
Director of the Oriental Institute in the University of Chicago, and
the author's predecessor in the chair of Oriental History in the
University.
The book is profusely illustrated and has been given the utmost of typographical care by the publishers.
�'DECEMBER, 1931
43
SPANNING THE NATION'S HISTORY
The Book of American Presidents, by Esse V. Hathaway, New
York, Whittlesey House. Illustrated. 367 pp. $2.50.
JN THIS book of close to four-hundred pages, Miss Hathaway
not only gives a biography of the Presidents but records the history of the nation. She starts from the assumption that the Declaration of Independence required of the President only to do his
best to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United
Spates, and emphasizes the fact that in the choice of president there
was no question of family, fortune, education or past experience.
This she deduces to be proof positive of the unswerving faith of the
founders of the nation in American manhood.
It is along this line that the author reconstructs the lives and
achievements of American Presidents. She brings out in each the
quality for which he was most noted and gives to the chapter on
each president a title indicative of that quality. Thus Washington
is "Starting Right"; Thomas Jefferson is "Extending Boundaries"}
James Monroe is "On Guard"} Abraham Lincoln is "Welding"}
until the end of the list is reached with Harding, Coolidge and
Hoover "At the World's Cross-Roads".
Nothing but the author's deep-rooted love for her country and
her pride in the achievements of her nation and its heads could have
induced such painstaking research and study. And she has certainly
accomplished her task well. We wish to applaud the success of her
efforts especially because her Americanism is not of the narrow provincial sort. She has been a reader of THE SYRIAN WORLD and
often has expressed her approval of our method of approach to enlightened Americanism. We therefore feel confident that our
readers of young Syrian-Americans will derive great profit and
pleasure from her book.
The pen-and-ink illustrations of all the Presidents appearing
in the book are by Samuel Bernard Schaeffer. There are also facsimile reproductions cf all the Presidents' signatures.
i
mwaw
�" **,; Iin; y ' •"
'44
--
:
-
•
..
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Peace and Good Will, Plus Faith
By
THE EDITOR
^HE ECHO of the angels' glad tidings of peace and good-will
still reverberates among the hills of Judea and is heard
round the world: That distant voice of centuries continues to increase in volume and velocity as the message of Christianity is
carried to an increasing number of men with the passage of each
year. That message brings comfort because it reminds man of
his divine origin, his hope of redemption and his ultimate perfection.
No single event in human history bears as much significance as
the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, because no other single event has
wrought so much change in man's conception of his destiny.
The small land of Palestine, a geographical part of greater
Syria, owes its importance chiefly to the birth of a child in a manger
on a cold night in the little town of Bethlehem.
Three Magi kings were guided to that humble spot on the
night of the great event by a star; now the thoughts of hundreds
of millions of believers in the teaching of that child of Nazareth
and .Bethlehem are turned with love and devotion to the land of
the child's birth on his anniversary, their hearts throbbing with
ineffable joy and the echo of the message of the angels filling
their ears.
The commemoration of the great event has ever been a source
of joy and hope and spiritual solace. In the present crisis through
which the world is passing it should prove of greater significance
and effect. Men now need hope and courage as they never did before, and the spiritual fortitude which the Christmas season brings
forth should impart steadiness to wavering souls. The present
economic crisis is an aftermath of the World War's cataclysm, and
if the world was '? to emerge safely from the war crisis, so' will
it find the courage to weather the resulting economic crisis. Peace
and good-will and hope and courage are now sorely needed, and
the commemoration of the one who preached this doctrine should
inspire the believers in him to practice his teachings. Now of all
time, is the need to practically apply the Christian spirit to the needs
of civilization so that the work which had its birth in the little town
of a Syrian province nearly two thousand years ago, and which
Christendom the world over commemorates each year might be
carried on.
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�DECEMBER, 1931
45
NEW ELECTIONS ORDERED IN SYRIA FOLLOWING RETURN OF
HIGH COMMISSIONER—PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT DEPOSED
The Syrian problem at last appears to have entered the final stage
for a definite solution. With the return of High Commissioner Ponsot
to Beirut on November 15 and h"s
swift action in ordering new elec
tions in Syria, together with the apparent cordiality which character'zel
his conversations with the leaders o2
the Nationalist party who were in
frequent conferences with him, it b2comes ev'dert that some common
understanding has been reached fDr
composing the 7ong drawn out differences between the Syrians and France
on the poltical future of Syria. Ad
cLtional pre of of the High Commis
sicner's determinat'on to speedily end
the present uncertainty in the political situation may be deduced from
his having lost no time in depos'ng
the pre visional government of Sheikh
Tajeddin Al Hasani preparatory t:>
holding the new elections and assum
ing in person the conduct of government ad inter'm and supervision of
the elections.
M. Ponsot's arrival in Beirut was
attended by much ceremony despite
his having banned any form of os
tentatious disp'ay. Official delegations from a'l parts of Syr'a flocked
to Beirut to take part in the recaption, presumably at the bidding of
Sheikh Tajeddin, according to press
reports. There was a representative
delegation also of the Nat:onalist
party headed by its veteran leader
Hashim Bey Al-Atasi. The delegations were received by the High Commissioner at his private rrs'dence and
there was evident cordiality marking
his conversations with the Nat'onalists.
Only two days later the High
Commissioner proceeded to Damascus
and immediate"}' went into r Lngthy
conference with the head of the prov'sional government. Later the two
went together to the S iraya where
the High Commissioner announced to
the officials of the Syrian government his dec'sio: s on his future policy.
Following these moves three offi
cial communiques wjie itoiied ty the
High Commi3sion?r set.ing forth his
decis'ons as fellows:
Assumption by ;he High Commissioner of direct government in
Syria pending the daemons for the
Constituent Assembly wh\h ware set
for the middle of December. An executive secretary will r .> >r s ni the
High Commissitner in the conduct of
[roverrment. Most of the members of
the provisional cabinet were reta'ned
Appointment by the High Commissioner of an Advisory Counci1 to
supervise the elections with a % iew
to insuring their fairness and impartiality. All former heads of the
Syrian government since the beginning of the mandate are appo:nted to
membership in the council, including
Sheikh Tajeddin. The High Commis-
HIIHMPf
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
46
Chambers of Commerce or" Damasens
and Aleppo end several others.
The third communique deals with
ths coming clectic;:s and S3ts for.h the
ccrdhions under which ths primary
r,nd final elections are to bo hod in
the different districts an.l among the
various clisscs of the population.
This appears necessary in view cf tin
spes'al conditions of the population,
seme being nomad:; or semi nomads.
Ths HigAi Commissioner assumes the
right of exercising direct supervision
cf the elections in his ca;?aei y of
head of the government.
Although the Nationalists appear
to be on the friendliest terms with
the French authorities, no official declaration of their stand has yet boon
g-'ven. Cut immediately following the
announcement of the action taken by
the High Commissioner the leader of
•the Nationalists, Hashim Bey Al Atasi, issued a call to all d'strict leaders and former members of ths Ccnstituent Assembly to convene for a
party conference at Dsmascus to discuss their future policy. It is hinted
in Nat:onalist newspapers, hc-wever,
that tie Party will rssume an attitude of co-operatic n w'th the mandatory authorities and participate 5n tha
coming e^ctions since they have been
convinced that the High Commissioner has earnestly secured the maximum
terms for the Syrians, and that there
SHEIKH TAJEDDIN AL-HASANI
are some rights wh.'ch France in hsr
For three years Provisional Presi- role oi mandatory cannot relinquish.
dent of the State of Syria, who was
These new developments would
deposed by High Commisslonere Pon- seem to mark the beginnng of the
sot in November.
end of the Syrian prbolem. At least
;
sicner reserves the r ght to appoint they appear to pave the way for a
to membership all outstanding per- new approach to an understanding if
sonalities whose presence induces con- rot a permanent solution. If present
fidence. He has consequently ap- plans are carried out acccrding to
pointed several leaders of the Na- schedule, the new Constituent Astionalist party, '"neluding Al-Atasi, the s:mb"y should convene in the midJ'e
judge cf the Supreme Court of Da- of February to del'berate on ths new
mascus, the President of the National form of government to be adopted for
Syria.
University, the Presidents of the
»
�DECEMBER, 1931
With these developments agitation for a monarchy in Syr'a, or even
the creation of a dual monarchy to be
•composed of Syha and Iraq with
King Faisal on the throne, S3ems to
have subsided. The wish of the Syrian people was expressed in the first
Assembly which formulated a constitution and declared for a republic.
Now with the Nationalists maintaining their former strength which insures their control of the coming Assemby, their often expressed adherence to their republican principles
is expectd to be mainta:ned.
LEBANON OCCUPIED WITH
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
N. A. Mokarzel, New York Editor,
Proposed by Influential Group as
Logical Candidate.
The paramount occupation of the
Lebanese at present seems to center
on the ccming Presidents elections.
In this connection some unexpected
developments have taken place which
in some respects indicate the desperate stage of discontent among the
Lebanese w'th present methods of
adminstration
One (f the curiosities of the Lebanese Republic is that representation
in the Legislative Assembly is still
maintained by re'igious denonvnations
along the lines obtaining :n the form
er regime. And this despite the fact
that the structure of the government
is supposed to be republican. The
first President, however, was chceen
from among the minorities, presumably owing tc< the impossib:lity of agree
ment on a candidate of the majority.
President Dabbas has now had two
terms, and while Hwre are rumors of
the possib*'lity of his election for a
mam
47
third term, such a possibility seems
to be remote.
The Maronites, who cempose the
largest single group in the country,
pre now clliming the Presidency as
their right in accordance with the law
of majority representation, but as on
previous occasions, they are not agreed on a candidate, the two most
prominenty mentioned at present being Emil Eddy and Bishara Khoury,
bo.'h former Premiers. As an alternate propositii 7i the suggestion has
been advance:! that the Presidency be
w'thheld from all the larger groups
and given to one from among the
minorities.
In this connection the
or.e mrst prominently mentioned is
Dr. Ayoub Thabet, former Minister of
the Interior who is credited with hav
ing inaugurated many reforms. Dr.
Thabet is a Protestant.
But what appears t(- be the most
starting suggestion is that coming
from an influential group in Lebanon
who advocate the e'ection of N. A.
Mokarzel, the veteran Lebanese editor
cf Al Hoda, to the Presidential office.
The suggestion was first advanced by
the Lebanese notable Sheikh Edmond
Belaibil, :n an open letter which h^
sent to Lebanese papers and was received by a considerable number of
editors with much favorable comment,
eliciting from sc me even enthusiasm.
The grounds on which the suggestion
is based is that Mr. Mokarzel, being
above local po itics and having had
a lorg record of distinguished service
to his mother country, together with
his tireless energy and adminstrative
ability, would be the Moses who wou'd
save Lebanon from the wilderness of
its present chaotic condition.
Commenting rn this proposal, the
editor explains in detail in the issue
of Al-Hoda of Dec. 12 the reasons for
his refusal to entertain the suggestion.
Whi'e expressing appreciation fcr the
generous gesture and the proffered
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7HE SYRIAN WORLD
PROPOSED FOR PRESIDENT OF LEBANON
N. A. MOKARZEL
Veteran Lebanese editor of AI-Hoda, oldest Arabic-language newspaper in the United States, who is offered the Presidency of the Lebanese Republic
�DECEMBER, 1931
honor, 'he reiterates hfs oft expressed
decision not to accept office in any
form. He takes the occasion to criticize the present form of government
in Lebanon and calls attention to Irs
advocacy since 1911 of the appoints
ment cf a governor in Lebanon for
life, preferably a Frenchman without the right of hereditary succession.
France, of course, is to retain the
mandate over the country, but to enjoy less than the right she now exercises in its administrative affairs.
These principles constitute the demands of the Lebanon League of Progress, a political organization in America, which the editor of Al-Hcda
founded twenty years ago and of
Which he still is president.
PAN-ISLAMIC CONGRESS
HELD IN PALESTINE.
dealt chiefly with the activities of
the Moslem Congress which convened
in Jerusalem the middle of December. It was attended by delegates
from all the Moslem countries, including Egypt and India. The question of the caliphate was not given
much consideration and the deliberations seem to 'have entered on Zionists' aims in Palestine, despite the
assurance of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem given to the British authorities that politics would net be discussed at the sessions of the congress.
Joseph M. Levy, special correspondent of the New York Times in
Jerusalem, reports that a 'heated controversy took place between the Indian delegate on the one hand, and
the delegates of Syria and Iraq on
the other, over the question whether
^Moslem opposition should be confined
to the Jews or made to include the
mandatory power in Palestine. The
Indian protested against the congress
going on record as opposing England,
but his opponents won.
49
Delegates also bitterly criticized
the aclr'on of Italy in condemning to
be hanged Omar Mukhtar, the Senussi rebel chieftain in Tripoli.
Considerable opposition developed under the leadership of Ragheb
Bey Nashash'bi, Mayor of Jerusalem,
to the Grand Mufti's ambitions to
Moslem leadership. A meeting of
protest was held at the Mayor's call
which is said to have been attended
by 1000 representatives from all Palestine.
Resolutions finally adopted by the
congress, according to The Times' dispatches, include, first, a protest to the
League against the establishment of a
Jewish national home in Palestine and
the ousting of Arabs; second, a boycott by Moslems throughout the world
of all Jewish goods manufactured in
Palestine; third, to broadcast to the
Moslem world that Zion;sm is a catastrophe for Palestine; fourth, to reject the Wailing Wall Commission's
decisions, and, fifth, to prop&gate
throughout the world the Palestine
Moslems' claims to independence. It
was unanimously resolved to< form a
$5,000,000 corporation with shares to
be subscribed by Moslems throughout
the world for constructive purposes in
Palestine to counteract the Jewish nationalist activities.
Aecord;ng to press dispatches,
the session of Dec. 12 was characterized by violent attacks on the British
mandatory policy, delegate after delegate rising to deliver a fiery speech
on the subject. Mohammad AH Pasha
of Egypt discussed at length Zionist
aims in Palestine as well as economic
depression among Moslem peasants,
alleging that Jewish leaders h?d made
statements that it is the Jewish plan
to colonize Palestine wth Jews, ousting the Arabs and restoring the ancient Jewish temple on the site of
the Mosque of Omar.
�50
His Excellency Sesostris Sidarouss
ing greeted by Salloum A. Mokarzel
dinner given in the minister's honor
America.. Nasib Kalaf, a member of
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Pasha, Minister of Egypt (left) beeditor of the Syrian World at the
by the Syrian Friends of Egypt in
the committee, is shown in center.
�»i.
51
DECEMBER, 1931
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
NEWS SECTION
VOL. VI NO. 4
NEW YORK SYRIANS
HONOR SIDAROUSS PASHA.
New Egyptian Minister in Washington Reviews 71st Regiment.
i
His excellency Sesostr;s Sidarouss
Pasha, the new Egyptian Minister to
the United States, was received with
much acclaim by official and social
circles upon his first visit to New York
since his appointment as Minister
Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary of His Majesty the King of
Egypt at Washington in August. He
arrived in the city November 29 to
review the 71st. Regiment of the New
York National Guard at its armory
on Park Ave. The nvlitary review
was fo'lowed by a reception at the
private quarters of the commanding
officer in honor of the minister.
His Excellency was the guest of
honor on the following day at a dinner
given in his honor by Mrs. George
Washington Kavanaugh. He was also
officially received by Acting Mayor
McGee at the City Hall and entertained at an official luncheon which
was attended by many prominent c:ty
officials.
Profiting of the presence of His
Excellency in the city, the newlyformed committee of the Syrian
Friends of Egypt in America invited
him to a dinner which was held at
the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn Dec.
DECEMBER, 1931
1. Despite the limited time, approximately one hundred guests were present. The response was a spontaneous expression of the genuine
friendship which the Syrians of America entertain for the Egyptian nation
and ^ts diplomatic representative.
Salloum A. Mokarzel, editor of
the Syrian World and Chairman of the
committee, opened the speaking program with a few words of welcome in
the name of his colleague on the committee and inv'ted Mr. N. A. Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda and dean of
the Arabic press in America, to preside as toastmaster. The speakers
were selected to represent the various
professions and classes of the community, and included George A Ferris,
dean of the Syrian legal fraternity,
and Dr. F. I. Shatara both of whom
spoke in English, and Rev. Mansur
Stephen who spoke in Arabic. The
Minister responded in both languages
expressing h;s deep appreciation of
the friendly sentiments displayed towards his government and himself.
The toastmaster introduced between speeches Madame Fedora Kurban who sang operatic selections in
both Arabic and English, and Professor Alexander Maloof who played
several solo piano selections.
The committf^ sponsoring the
dinner was compose^ of Dr. Salim Y.
Alkazin, Dr. F. I. Shatara, Nasib Trabuls;, Nasib Kalaf and S. A. Mokarzel.
Those in the Minister's party were
�52
Major and Mrs. Thomas MacDonald,
Wajih Rustum Bey Secretary to the
Legation, Mr. H. K'hatib, acting Egyptian consul in New York, Abdul
Latif Hannawy and Mr. Osman ffilmy
of the Egyptian consulate.
The guests included.
Mr. & Mrs. J. M. Abbott; William Abouchar; Dr. & Mrs. S. Y.
Alkazin; Mrs. C. Arb; E. J. Audi;
Mr. & Mrs. Selim Ayoub; Mme Fedora Kurban; Mr. & Mrs. George C.
Dagher; Dr. Najib Barbour; Miss
Daw; M4ss DeMoor; Saleem Hatem
representing Al-Bayan; Mme. Marie
El-Khoury; Mr. & Mrs. D. J. Faour;
Peter S. George; C. H. Griffith; Miss
Daisy Hamad; S. J. Hermas; Dr. A.
Himad*; Jamile B. Holway; Major &
Mrs. Howard Hutter; Mr. & Mrs. B.
M. Jabara; Mr. & Mrs. F. M. Jabara;
Bfiss Gl&dys Jabara; Mr. & Mrs.
George Jebaily; Miss Laurice Jebaily;
Mr. & Mrs. N. Kalaf; A. G. Khouri;
Mr. & Mrs. P. Kohlhaas; Edward
Leon.
Also', N. Makanna; Fred Malhame; Elias Mallouk; Prof. Alex. Maloof; Assad Milkie; Mike Mobarak;
N. A. Mokarzel Editor of Al-Hoda;
Mr. & Mrs. S. A. Mokarzel; Miss Mary
Mokarzel; Miss R< se Mokarzel; Miss
Alice Mokarzel; Dr. & Mrs. H. Rasi;
Najeeb Sah'adi; Selim Sahadi; Mr. &
Mrs. Michael Saydah; Dr. & Mrs.
F. I Shatara; Mr. & Mrs. Robert
Shephard; Mr. & Mrs. Abdullah Sleyman; Albert Staub; Rev. Mansour
Stephen; Mr. & Mrs. John Stephen;
Mr. & Mrs. Selim Totah; Mr. & Mrs.
Nes;b Trabulsi; Miss Barbara Young;
Fuad Zrike representing Meraat UlGharb; Mr. & Mrs. P. Zrike.
EGYPTIAN MINISTER VISITS
ARABIC LINOTYPE FACTORY.
.While in New York His Excellency Sesostris Sidarouss Pasha, Egyptian Minister to the United States, was
THE SYRIAN WORLD
invited to inspect the Mergenthaler
Linotype factory in Brooklyn which
manufactures the Arabic Linotype.
He was accompanied by Major Thomas MacDonald, Wajih Rustum Bey
of the Legation staff, Mr. H. Khatib
acting Egyptian consul in New York,
Mr. Abdul Latif Hanawy and Mr. Salloum A. Mokarzel editor of the Syrian
World who acted for the Mergenthaler Company in extending the invitation.
The party was entertained at luncheon in the Company's dining room
by the President Mr. Norman Dodge,
Mr. Joseph T. Maekey, the Treasurer
and Mr. C. H. Griffith, Assistant to
the President. Later the minister and
his
companions
were
conducted
through the vast factory and the
various processes of production and
inspection demonstrated to them. It
was explained to the Minister that the
Mergenthaler Company manufactures
composing machines for nearly fifty
languages and that it has given special care to the manufacture of the
Arabic. Linotype whch now has been
in use in America for almost twenty
years as the only method of Arabic
composition, and is being gradually
introduced into all Arabic-speaking
countries, including Egypt.
Earlier in the day the Minister
visited the Empire State Building as
guest of former Governor Alfred E.
Smith.
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
AMONG N. Y. SYRIANS.
The needy among the Syrians of
New York will not want of Christmas
cheer this year despite the prevalent
depression. Churches, organizations
and the press are working along one
form of rel;ef or another, the response
being gratifyng.
Leading the movement among the
press are the two important dailies.
?•
�DECEMBER, 1931
",
Al-Hoda and Meraat Ul-Gharb. The
Syrian Ladies' A'd Society has sent
an appeal by mail to a select list of
over one thousand individuals. St.
Nicholas' Club is planning a Christmas
party for the needy Syrian children
of Brooklyn.
The American Syrian Federation
held a cabaret and dance at its clubrooms on Dec. 15 the proceeds of
which are to be devoted to Christmas
baskets.
Featuring the entertainment was Ted Black and his orchestra
who are in demand by the principal
hotels and restaurants of New York.
Ted Black is a Syrian whose original
name is Aboussleman. He donated
his services.
A musicale and entertainment was
given at the Wells House in Brooklyn
on Dec. 17 by the Syrian Chrstmas
Fund Committee to raise funds for
providing Christmas baskets.
The
principal sponsors were Mrs. Victoria
Z. Shehab and Miss Sumayah Attiyeh.
GIBRAN'S WORKS DRAMATIZED
AT AMERICAN CHURCH
Scenes from "Jesus" ably presented
at St. Mark's
By Alice Mokarzel
St. Mark's on the Bouwerie was
the scene on Sunday, December 13,
of a vivid and living interpretation of
excerpts from Kahlil Gibran's Jesus,
the Son of Man, under the capt'on
"Liturgical Mystery of Jesus the Prophet." This performance marked the
second of Gibran programs presented
by St. Mark's Church since the recent death of the Syrian poet-prophet.
The host of faithful and loving
friends of Gibran who filled the church
to capacity, wept silently during the
scenes that were enacted with consummate beauty and feeling.
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51
Fitting music for the occasion
was composed by William Arthur
Goldsworthy, who also conducted the
choir assisting the performers and
cantors. Dr. William Norman Guthrie, rector of St. Mark's Church, and
Lester Leake Riley alternated in reading portions from Jesus, the Son of
Man. They were assisted in this by
Bryce Fogle, who interpreted in singing some of the parts. Fedora Kurban, the Syrian singer of merit, opened the musical program with an appropriate Arabic song.
Mary Magdelene, revealed in the
first scene by Phoebe Anna Guthrie,
is filled with the vision of Jesus whom
she beholds for the first time, and
'obsessed by an alternate hate and remorse when Jesus fails to recognize
her. When again she sees him "sitting under the cypress tree" across
her garden, she goes to Him and
pleads with Him to come into her
house. But Jesus grants not her request. "And when He had walked
away," Mary Magdelene, remembering the "sunset of His eyes," feels
no hate but only the lofty spirit of
the woman born anew in her being.
In the second scene, Judas (Gordon Place) reveals to a friend his
betrayal of Jesus, and finds no comfort for his anguish even in the confession of h;s treachery. After ceaseless torment of spirit, Judas realizes
an end to his suffering in self-destruction and goes forth thus determined.
Ann Elizabeth Stroud portrayed
with sincere and fervent feeling the
character of the Woman of Byblos
who is burdened with sorrow and
anguish and "unable to see beyond
grief" in the realization of her "personal loss" in the fate of Jesus.
Bertha Kunz Baker, whose art
has already exceeded itself, cannot
be praised sufficiently. She gave the
character of Mary, Mother of Jesus,
a living imprint upon the hearts of
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
the audience. The depth of the feeling she wrought, although created by
her voice and expression, was more
so in the silent yet speaking movements she made as Mary, the Mother
who sees with "spiritual understanding Jesus' death" and "through sorrow and vision, the calm acceptance
of God's way." This was a living
and sufferng Mary, who hears in
silent angu;sh the crash that marks
her Son's death and who "at dawn
is still standing among us like a lone
banner in the wilderness wherein
there are no hosts."
In the concluding scene, Phoebe
Anna Guthrie, assisted by St. Mark's
Choreographic Group, characterized
the High Priestess who sees in His
death only "exaltation and glory."
Many interpretations of Gibran's
works have been given in St. Mark's
Church, but never, more than on this
occasion, has Gibran seemed so living
and beautiful and so appealing and
touching to the human heart.
GIBRAN TO REPOSE
IN LEBANESE MONASTERY.
Gibran's life-long wish is to be
partly gratified. He had often confided to his friends that it was his
supreme ambit1 on sometime to retire
into the seclusion of Mt. Lebanon,
there to spend the remainder of his
days in the shadows of the Cedars,
amidst the surroundings of his youth
Which influenced his life work and
for which he felt an ever growing
longing. The Cedars, the Sacred Valley, and Becharre his home town, all
in close proximity, held associations
extremely dear to Irs heart.
The Lebanese press now reports
that Gibran's wish in this respect is
to be respected. Having learned from
his sister who accompanied his remains to his native land that he had
—
wished to acquire for his retreat in
his old age the Monastery of Mar (St.)
Sarqis, Gibran's countrymen opened
negotiations with the owners of th;s
monastery to purchase it and convert
it into a museum for Gibran's works
and a resting place for his remains.
The monastery ;s ideally sfituated
above Becharre and below the Cedars,
perching on a ledge in the mountain
overlooking the Sacked Valley.
The Syrian World is in receipt of
information that M:ss Mariana, Gibran's sister, intends to purchase privately the monastery that is to be dedicated to ier brother.
GIBRAN'S MESSAGE
READ TO D. A. R.
Mr. Roderick Donley, a neighbor
of the Syrian World, whose wife is
an active worker in the Daughters of
the American Revolution, admired the
spirit of Gibran's Message to Young
Americans of Syrian Origin which we
had specially printed for framing as
a gift to our subscribers. We gladly
gave him a copy to take home. His
wife alsc« admired the sp;rit and made
excellent use of her admiration. During the State Convention of the D. A.
R. lately held in Paterson, Congressman Hamilton Fish of New York deVvered an address on the pernicious
activities of foreign communists in
America. Mrs. Donley, in making her
report as committee chairman, took
the occasion to declare that not all
foreigners should be classed in the
same category. The Syrians, she said'
were law-abiding and useful citizens.
As proof she read to the convention
Gibran's Message.
DR. SHATARA LECTURES
ON ARAB CIVILIZATION.
Dr. Fuad I. Shatara of Brooklyn
was the principlal speaker at the
y.
\
k
j
�M.
v-n
he
"DECEMBER, 1931
H
55
LEBANESE AVIATOR PROMOTED.
Baltimore Open Forum before an audience of 700 at the Baltimore Auditorium on Sunday, Dec. 13. His
subject was the Arabs' contribution
to civilization, and he defended Islam
aga;nst the charge of having been
spread by the sword, as reported in
the Baltimore Sun of Dec. 14.
Dr. Shatara encompassed the
whole history of the Arabs and enurnei-ated their various c( ntributions to
science and education. We are fortunate ?n having secured the copy of
Dr. Shatara's lecture and shall publish
illuminating excerpts from it in a
ccming issue of the Syrian World.
YOUNG PEOPLE'S CLUB
GIVES ENTERTAINMENT.
The Young People's Club of the
Syr'-an Prc.testant Church of Brooklyn gave an entertainment at its clubrooms connected with the church on
the last Sunday of November. President Shibly Kassis asked Philip Kahwajie, chairman of the entertainment
committee, to direct the meeting. A
varied program of song, music and
games was prcv;ded.
The educational feature of the
evening was an address by the editor
of the Syrian World who spoke on
the special role of the Syr'an-American
generation and related some experiences of his recent trip abroad. Dr.
K. A. Bishara, pastor of the Syrian
Protestant congregation, also spoke in
corroboration cf the editor's remarks.
THOMAS MOAWOOD MOKARZEL.
Appointed Deputy Sheriff in charge
of aviation in Dutchess County, N. Y.
sheriff in charge of aviation in Dutchess County. The appointment was
made on the recommendation of Senator J. Griswold Webb, chairman of
the New York State legislative committee on aviation, and County
LEBANESE FLYER MADE
Judge Flannery:
FIRST AIR DEPUTY.
Mr. Moawood is regarded as the
The Eagle-News of Poughkeepsie, leading pilot in the Hudson Valley,
New York, in its issue of October 10, according to the News-Eagle. Alcarried on its first page an account though he has been a licensed pilot
of the appointment of Thomas Mo- for over six years, he has never had
awood Mokarzel, the first licensed pi- a serious mishap. On the two oclot in the Hudson Valley, as deputy casions when he had minor accidents
�,
36
he has shown admirable presence of
mind. So far he is credited officially
with 21,000 flying hours. Last year
he won a race held at the Poughkeepsie Airport in which sixteen pilots
took part, some of whom enjoy
a national reputation. The cup he
was awarded on this occasion appears
in the accompanying picture.
Mr. Moawood is also known as the
"Lebanon Eagle". He is proud of
his Lebanese descent and one of his
greatest ambitions is to make a nonstop flight to Mt. Lebanon once he can
secure sufficient backing.
DISTURBANCES MARK
SYRIAN ELECTIONS.
A special cable dispatch to the
New York Times from Damascus dated Dec. 20 read in part as follows:
The situation here in connection
with the elections today became so
serious and demonstrations of opposing factions so turbulent that at 2
P. M. the Government decided to halt
the elections to avert bloodshed.
Although in some quarters everything passed quietly,;t was regarded
as expedient to postpone further polling in Damascus and Hama until some
indefinite date, but in Aleppo and
Homs as well as adjoining locations
they were allowed to continue until
completed.
After the voting places were closed
Damascus was comparatively peaceful and the demonstrations ended,
but until 2 o'clock this afternoon the
city was actually in a state of rot,
all parties fighting one another.
While the polling proceeded at the
Town Hall stones were hurled at its
windows, doors were smashed and
trolley cars also were stoned. Pclice
and troops, with the aid of the fire
brigade, tried to repulse the mobs.
ii«i*r-^
?HE SYRIAN WORLD
The police were obliged to open fire
to frighten the rioters and the fire
brigade dispersed them by turning
their hoses on them.
Women and students joined in the
uproar and general excitement by
issuing manifestos, driving automobiles to all quarters of the city and
urging the people to vote for Nationalists. Many students were arrested for throwing stones.
The Nationalists here and in Aleppo continue to send one protest after
another to High Commissioner Henri
Ponsot. The latest one is aga-nst
the officials in charge of the polling
boxes. One was sent yesterday asserting that the Syrians,
having
placed confidence in the High Commiss'oner's earlier declarations, 'had
decided to participate in the elections
in expectation that the elections would
be fair and free. The telegram protests that "measures were taken by
government authorities to instigate
Government officials to transgress
personal liberty and arouse trouble in
the country by opening fire on the
public." The telegram further requests M. Ponsot to submit the complaint to the League of Nations and
the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Communication with Damascus
today was practically cut off, as no
one was allowed to enter or leave
town and private long distance telephone calls were not permitted, the
telephones being reserved for the Government.
Disturbances occured yesterday
in the Kurdish quarter here, when at
a meeting, a Nationalist speaker was
attacked, beaten and ejected. There
was a clash also at El Kuneitra, between Royalists and Nationalists resulting in several persons being
wounded.
» ft
�DECEMBER, 1931
SIXTEEN ARAB STUDENTS
IN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY.
A correspondent of Meraat UlGharb reports that in the University
cf Michigan in Ann Arbor, there are
sixteen Arab students this year, drawn
from Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and
Iraq, the newest comer being Miss
Wadad K. Mackdici, who is specializing in sociology.
Miss Mackdici is the daughter of
Prof. Jurius Kho/iri of the American
University of Beirut and had graduated with honors from the latter institution. She spent a year teaching
in Baghdad and is now completing
her advanced studies on a scholarship.
CO-OPERATIVE HOSPITAL
OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES.
The co-operative hospital of Elk
City, Okla., opened in the fall of this
year, and marking the success of
several years of strenuous efforts on
the part of the Syrian physician Dr.
M. Shadid, was described by a feature
article appearing on the frcnt page of
' the Daily Oklahoman of Oklahoma
City as the only institution of its
character in the United States.
The writer lauds the courageous
enterprise and tireless energy of the
founder and declares . that he is on
the way of overcoming the financial
difficulties resulting from the failure
of some subscribers to complete payment for their stock. The writer also
hints that through professional jealpusy some private practicians had
lodged charges against the co-operative hospital w-'th the State authorities. The principal cause of complaint is that the hospital is dispensing medical services much below the
customary fees, and providing medicines at one-third less than the prevailing prices.
This is branded as
socialistic, but is exactly what the
57
founder of the hospital intended when
he launched 'his enterprise. He is
defending his practices with unwavering courage.
DICTIONARY CORNERSTONE
OF MOSLEM RENAISSANCE.
In a debate on Moslem culture
in one of the sessions of the Moslem
Congress in Jerusalem, Mohammad Ali
Pasha cf Egypt declared that the Arabic dictionary, when compiled, will be
the cornerstone of Moslem revival. He
emphasized that although the Arabic
language was replete with classical
terms it did not embrace modern
scientific words, which now are borrowed from English and French. A
dictionary, he said, is vitally essential
to bring about the Moslem renaissance. He suggested that Egypt's
geographical position be utilized to
concentrate on the preparatory work
of this dictionary particularly in view
of the fact that the Egyptian government had started organizing a special
academy for the same purpose.
FORMER EGYPTIAN KHEDIVE
FOR SYRIAN KING.
Contrary to previous advices, it
now seems evident that the royalist
agitation in Syria has not died out.
The elections now taking place disclosed the existence of a strong element favoring a monarchy.
The latest personage mentioned
as a propable candidate for the throne
is Abbas Hilmy, former Khedive of
Egypt, who will arrive in Jerusalem
on Dec. 23 enrcute to Syria, where
he will be received by the French High
Commissioner. A dispatch from Jerusalem says that rumors are persistent thafthe ex-Khedive is coming
to Syr'a on the explicit understanding of being placed on the throne.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
W$®&®MB&MF^
Gibran's Message
To Young Americans of Syrian Origin
ft
I believe in you. and I believe in your destiny.
I believe that you are contributors to this new civilization.
I believe that you have inherited from your forefathers an ancient dream.a song, a prophecy, which you can proudly lay as a gift of gratitude upon the lap of America.
I believe you can say to the founders of this great nation. Here I am. a youth, a young
tree, whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would
be fruitful."
And I believe that you can say to Abraham Lincoln, the blessed. "Jesus of Nazareth
touched your lips when you spoke, and guided your hand when you wrote: and I shall uphold
all that you have said and all that you have written."
II
I believe that you can say to Emerson and Whitman and James. "In my veins runs the
blood of the poets and wise men of old. and it is my desire to come to you and receive, but I shall
not come with empty hands."
I believe that even as your fathers came to this land to produce riches, you were born
here to produce riches by intelligence, by labor.
And I believe that it is in you to be good citizens.
And what is it to be a good citizen?
It is to acknowledge the other person's rights before asserting your own. but always to be
conscious of your own.
It is to be free in thought and deed, but it is also to know that your freedom is subject
to the other person's freedom.
It is to create the useful and the beautiful with your own hands, and to admire what others
have created in love and with faith.
I
It is to produce wealth by labor and only by labor, and to spend less than you have produced that your children may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.
It is to stand before the towers of New York, Washington. Chicago and San Francisco
saying in your heart. "I am rhe descendant of a people that builded Damascus, and Biblus, and
Tyre and Sidon. and Antioch, and now I am here to build with you. and with a will."
It is to be proud of being an American, but it is also to be proud that your fathers and
mothers came from a land upon which God laid His gracious hand and raised His messengers.
Young Americans of Syrian origin. I believe in you.
nmmnmmmemn
FREE TO SYRIAN WORLD SUBSCRIBERS. This beautiful message by
Gibran 13x17 inches, printed in large type on heavy paper with ornamental border suitable for framing. Every PAID subscriber whose term begins
with Sept. 1931 is entitled to a copy, mailed in heavy cardboard tube. Subscribers whose term beg-'ns before Sept. 1931 may secure a copy by renewal.
\ '
�wmmmmmmmm
59
DECEMBER, 1931
A STUDY
of
KAHLIL GIBRAN
THIS MAN FROM LEBANON
T
>
Barbara Young, the American poet who is now Kahlil Gibran's literary executor, speaks with authority in a 48 page
brochure concerning his life and work, illustrated with
several hitherto unpublished protraits of the Poet of the
Cedars, and a reproduction of one pen and ink drawing and
one page of original manuscript.
A few copies of the limited first edition, serially numbered and autographed by the author, are still available.
The price for this edition is $2.50.
Owing to the wide interest in the brochure, a second
printing will be necessary. These will not be numbered nor
autographed, and will be procurable at $1.50 the copy.
Checks may be made payable to the Gibran Studio, 51
West 10th Street, New York City.
HMHW^'
�60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
AUTHENTIC
:»
ORIENTAL RUGS
THE A. SLEYMAN COMPANY. INC.
{276 5th AVENUE
NEW YORK CITY
Phone BOgardus 4-4345
George Haddad
Proprietor
1
I
Phone
CHickering 4-8878
ALEXANDRIA RESTAURANT
The new and beautiful uptown Syrian restaurant owned and operated
by a master chef, who summons his long experience to the
art of producing the most delectable Oriental dishes.
Small and large parties catered to
So Conveniently Located
21 WEST 31st STREET,
NEW YORK
'Y'I^SWSV'/WN/SV
IT IS YOURS
is the only Syrian publication printed
in English, and as such is the organ of the Syrians in America.
You can help it continue and grow by subscribing to it yourself
and inducing others to subscribe.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
PUBLISHER, THE SYRIAN WORLD:
104 Greenwich Street, New York.
You may enter my name as a subscriber to "The Syrian World" for the term of one yeary for which I agree to
fay the regular rate of $5.00 ufon receipt of the first issue.
Address
City & State
mimmmmAiMiM^vMJMniM
�ECEMBER, 1931
61
JERE J. CRONIN
FUNERAL DIRECTOR
MORTUARY CHAPEL
Local or Out of Town Funerals Personally Attended to
LADY ATTENDANT
Expense a Matter of Your Own Desire
115 ATLANTIC AVENUE
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
The large amount of business we do permits us to buy caskets
in large quantity which enables us to give the best funerals very
reasonable. We carry a complete line of the very best manufactured
caskets at $45.00 up. We pay no agents to secure funerals for us but
only give the family who has sorrow the very best of service, reverence
and economy. Our aim is to help those who are in trouble at a very
little cost. No charge for use of our services or funeral parlors.
Telephone—MAIN 1398-1399-8130-3655
SHEIK
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HOW TO BREED MOTHS
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A well-appointed Syrian rtstaurant in the heart of the
Syrian Quarter, in lower Manhattan, where yon and your
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amidst the charm of an Oriental atmosphere.
RESTORATIVE: Call the
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KIRDAHY RESTAURANTS,
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�3
The ARABIC
LINOTYPE
in MOROCCO
Although the adaptation of the Linotype
to Arabic composition is comparatively
recent, the Arabic Linotype has already
been introduced into all Arabic speaking countries, whether in the Near or
Far East. And wherever it is used, it is
found to be a revelation in its efficiency
and economy of operation. This is but
natural since in all Western languages
the Linotype is now the standard method
of type composition, and hand composition has been almost entirely discarded
in the book, periodical and commercial
printing field for quantity production.
Impr:merie Officielle, Rabat
G. Pfister, Algiers . .
"La Renaissance", Tunis .
"Le Petit Matin", Tunis .
* TRADE
In our kst advertisement in this publication we gave a list of Arabic Linotype
users in Egypt. This month we list the
Linotypes now in operation in Morocco.
It will be seen that not only is it used
in the Government Press but in many
commercial printing establishments.
This testifies not only to the superior
merits of the Arabic Linotype but also
to the spirit of progress in the country.
The printing industry is one of the fundamentals of progress, and the Linotype is the machine which accelerates
the progress movement.
•
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4 Linotypes
1 Linotype
2 Linotypes
1 Linotype
OTYPE "%
MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY
Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A. Cable—Linotype, New York
J^Si\ jJUl j.u ^^ ^j cVlfj liJ
Representatives in the Principal Cities of
^
An illustrated descriptive catalogue of the
Arabic Linotype sent free upon request
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Cable—Linotype, New York
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�THE SYRIAN WORLD
64
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Checking accounts may be opened with $200.00 or more
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�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1931_12reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 06, Issue 04
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1931 December
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 6 Issue 04 of The Syrian World published December 1931. This issue begins with an article by Hatib I. Katibah discussing Palestine and how it became the small Syrian province lying at the intersection of three continents. Katibah breaks down exactly how this was possible through a succession of historic events. Following it is a poem by Alice Mokarzel titled "The Christmas Altar." There is also another Gibran work titled "The Great Occurrence," which speaks about the miraculous nature of Jesus Christ. The rest of the poetry in this issue, edited by Barbara Young, is also entirely Christmas related. After a discussion of current news, Edna K. Saloomey's short story titled "Party for Aneesa" is featured, followed by book reviews. The editor closes out the issue with a piece titled "Peace and Good Will, Plus Faith." The issue concludes with excerpts from the Syrian Press and an update on political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1930s
Alice Mokarzel
Barbara Young
Christmas
Edna K. Saloomey
Habib I. Katibah
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Palestine
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/2d47223c3b99851a35024a0e168671a4.pdf
cbab0e17e260dd7015cf3567654d221c
PDF Text
Text
NOVEMBER, 1930.
k^
SYRIAN WORLD
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
or
'•...'IN.
^^55 B^r
DEFINING NEW BRITISH POLICY IN PALESTINE
DR. F. I. SHATARA
THE SYRIAN IN AMERICAN ART
If
AMEEN RIHANI
THE CAPITAL OF THE UMAYYADS
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
ALI ZAIBAQ (QUICKSILVER) (A SERIAL)
S. A. MOKARZEL and T. S. DAYTON
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
THE COPY 50c
m
��"~1
THE!
SYRIAN WORLD
'Published monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., New York, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single Copies 50c
Entered as second class matter June 25, 1926, at the post office at New York,
N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. V. No. 3.
NOVEMBER, 1930.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Defining New British Policy in Palestine
DR.
F. I.
5
SHATARA
The Syrian in American Art
10
AMEEN RIHANI
The Capital of the Umayyads
SALLOUM
17
A.
MOKARZEL
V
Ships Sail Out (Poem)
30
ALICE MCGEORGE
Alt Zaibaq (Serial)
31
�• "1 T
CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
The Rubaiyat (Poem)
34
THOMAS ASA
Book Reviews:—
Another Rihani Book on Arabia
35
Usamah in Arabic
36
A Frenchwoman's Defense of the Syrian Revolution 38
The Garment Fair (Poem)
DR. SALIM
40
Y.
ALKAZIN
Editorial Comment:-—
The Lessons of the Past
41
The Corporation
42
Know Yourself
43
The Palestine Issue
44
New British Policy in Palestine
45
Political Developments in Syria
.-. 49
About Syria and Syrians
51
�J
IN THIS ISSUE
E attention of the whole found most interesting and inworld is now focused on Pal- formative.
estine. The momentous struggle
taking place in that small coun- yHE eminent standing of
try which has given the world
Ameen Rihani in the world
two of the principal mono- of letters would render supertheistic creeds is fraught with fluous any attempt at introducthe gravest dangers. The Jews tion. His shining gifts and verclaim it for the reestablishment satile talents mark him out as
of a national homeland, while one of our inestimable national
the Arabs, Moslems and Christ- assets.
ians, stand in solid opposition to
We are now pleased to anthe claim. England, as the man- nounce a special article by Mr.
datory power, is charged with Rihani on the subject of The
the difficult task of reconciling Syrian in American Art. We
between Jewish claims and Arab believe the tribute is as much
rights. How is the situation de- to his race-pride as it is to the
veloping and what will be the ability and the talent of the inoutcome?
dividuals he has chosen for
A clear expose of the present mention. His concluding rePalestine situation is given in an marks on the mission and the
article by Dr. F. I. Shatara. value of THE SYRIAN WORLD
The author, himself a Pales- should be well pondered by
tinian Arab and a physician of every Syrian who would feel
Brooklyn, has followed closely proud in his origin and want to
political developments in his claim his rightful place among
mother country. His interest in the races of the world.
politics and his fearless espousal
of the Arab cause brought him Y^OULD you have an intimate
the offer at one time from exview of Damascus, that city
King Hussein of Arabia to be of proverbial picturesqueness
his diplomatic representative in and enchantment? You are here
Washington. Now he is fre- treated to one in the present inquently called upon for lectures stallment of the editor's account,
and debates on the Palestine of his Syrian travels. The opquestion. Being an authority on portunity is afforded to meet
the subject his article will be the President of the Syrian gov-
�"——
ernment, the Minister of Education and many leaders in the
political life of the city and the
nation. You are, besides, taken
on a tour through the principal
quarters and to the places of
foremost historical interest. In
this account, brief as it is, you
are afforded a glimpse into the
various interesting phases of the
city's life. The editor would
also like to get from readers
their reaction to the series which
; are meant for their enlightenment as to actual conditions in
the country of their ancestors.
those attributed to Ali Zaibaq.
Our hero, in this installment,
is engaged in one of his greatest exploits—war and love and
chivalry and revenge in the
most grandiose manner. We
need not urge readers to follow
up this interesting serial which
in many ways rivals the famous
Arabian Nights.
QTHER departments in this
issue are unusually interesting. The poetry is thrilling, the
editorial comment most timely
and the news section replete
JsJONE but an Oriental imag- with important happenings.
ination could weave such
Read the whole issue because
prodigiously fanciful tales as everything in it is of interest.
A LITERARY EVENT
The most delightfully entertaining book of Ameen
Rihani's series on Arabia has just been published in
America.
The new book, "Arabian Peak and Desert,"
deals with the richest and most inaccessible district of
Arabia, Al-Yaman. The possession of a copy of this
book should be the proud distinction of every cultured
Syrian home in America.
�- •' 'liiiiirr
^v,**^.^
TTTF
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. V. No. 3.
NOVEMBER, 1930.
Defining New British Policy in
Palestine
By
DR.
F. I.
SHATARA
PALESTINE is again on the front page, and the subject of
editorial columns. In the summer of 1929, world attention
was focused on that little strip of land known as the Holy Land.
The country was in the throes of serious disturbances leading to
bloodshed. Zionist leaders and propagandists denounced these
disturbances as the product of religious fanaticism, fanned into
flame by a few mischievous and selfish offenders and agitators.
Arab leaders, through the meagre channels of publicity at
their command, informed the world that the disturbances of 1929,
like the two previous ones, were the result of political Zionism,
which attempted to create in Palestine an imperium in imperio;
that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians were opposed to
Zionism and would fight it to the last; that the Arabs of Palestine
value their liberty and independence far more than any material
benefits which Zionism may bring to the country, and that the
Balfour Promise, the cornerstone of Zionism, was sandwiched
between two promises to the Arabs which are absolutely incompatible with that promise.
The British Government, in an earnest desire to get at the
facts through a neutral and reliable source, despatched the Shaw
Commission, which after an exhaustive study, and hearing evidence presented by able counsel, submitted its report. Space does
not permit more than a brief reference to that report, but the
outstanding feature was its refutation of most of the claims made
by the vociferious Zionist propagandists. Thus the report asserts
that the Arab attacks were not premeditated, and absolves the
�6
"THE SYRIAN WORLD
Arab Executive and the Grand Mufti of planning or inciting
actual disturbances.
One significant statement was:—"That the incident among
them which in our view contributed most to the outbreak was
the Jewish demonstration of the Wailing Wall on August 15."
The Shaw Commission made several important recommendations, chief among which were:—"That his Majesty's Government should consider the advisability of issuing a clear statement
of policy. * * * Our recommendations regarding immigration and
land questions are largely based on the assumption that in their
definition of a policy the government will clearly state that the
rights and position of non-Jewish communities in Palestine are
to be fully safeguarded."
Discussing the land problem the report recommends that—
a scientific inquiry should be undertaken by experts into the
prospects of introducing improved methods into Palestine * * *
It is of vital importance that in any scheme of land development,
adopted as a result of the expert inquiry, regard should be had
to the certain and natural increase in the present rural population. It is of vital importance that, pending the results of this
survey, the present tendency toward the eviction of peasant cultivators from the land should be checked."
The British Government, acting on these suggestions, commissioned Sir John Hope Simpson, an expert on Indian affairs,
to study the situation in Palestine and report on three important
questions, namely:—land settlement, immigration, and developy
ment.
His report on these three questions, according to cabled dispatches, is that the Arab land already available was limited in
extent, that the Arabs were not receiving sufficient consideration
in its allocation, and that Jewish immigration should be better
regulated and in certain categories checked altogether until more
lands are developed for settlement and until better provision is
made tor the landless Arabs.
r ,AC-T^nying thf rep°rt of Sir J°hn HoI* Simpson the
Colonial Office issued a White Paper setting forth the British
Government's future policy in the administration of its mandate
over Palestine.
In the White Paper Lord Passfield reminds the Zionists that
in their zeal for the 160 000 Jewish inhabitants of Palestine, they
have lost sight of the fact that Britain has a responsibility of
�-Tmlii.liii..iii.i.ii „.,.„.,
J{pVEMBER, 1930
7
safeguarding the rights of the 700,000 Arabs. While praising
the work of the World Zionist organization, that organization is
emphatically reminded that it is not the government, and that
Great Britain's responsibility for Palestine as the mandatory
power cannot be delegated to it.
The following extracts from Lord Passfield's statement will
give the reader an idea of its general tenor:—"The condition of
the Arab peasant leaves much to be desired
Some of the attempts which have been made to prove that Zionist colonization
had not had the effect of causing previous Arab tenants to join
the landless class have on examination proved to be unconvincing
if not fallacious
It can now be definitely stated that at the
present time and with the present methods of Arab cultivation
there remains no margin of land available for new immigrants
with the exception of such undeveloped land as the various Jewish organizations hold in reserve
Under the present circumstances his Majesty's Government considers their suspension of
immigration under the labor schedule last May fully justified."
The statement calls attention to and criticizes the rule of the
General Federation of Jewish Labor that Jewish settlers in Palestine must never employ Arab labor.
Lord Passfield then offers to set up .a Legislative Council
comprising the High Commissioner and twenty-two members,
of whom ten will be official and appointed by the High Commissioner, and twelve unofficial and elected by primary and secondary
elections.
The High Commissioner has the power to appoint enough
members to bring the number to twelve, if, through failure of a
section of the population to participate in elections, an insufficient
number is elected. He also sees to it that the mandatory power
will carry out its obligations to the League of Nations, and is
invested with power to enact urgent legislative acts, and to maintain order.
Immediately after the publication of the Simpson report and
the government statement, Dr. Chaim Weizmann handed in his
resignation as president of the World Zionist Organization and
the Jewish Agency. His example was shortly followed by Lord
Melchett, leader of the British Jewry, and Felix Warburg, president of the American Jewish Agency.
Vigorous protests, threats, and denunciations of Great Britain
from Zionists all over the world are coming thick and fast. It is
�8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
even hoped that the announcement will lead to the fall of the
MacDonald Government.
Baldwin, Lloyd George, Amery, and Smuts have expressed
their disapproval of the new policy, but whether they are sincere
in their protests or are simply playing politics is a question.
The Arabs so far have maintained silence. It is understood
that Hajj Amin El-Husseini, the Grand Mufti, will probably
reject the new offer. On the other hand, in a published interview, Ragheb El-Nashasheeby, Mayor of Jerusalem and leader
of the Moderates, accepts the offer as a working basis and expresses the opinion that a majority of the Palestine Arabs will
accept it.
In a cautious statement given out by Mr. Peter S. George
on behalf of the Arabs in New York, it is indicated that although
Britain's offer does not fulfill all the Arab aspirations, it will be
accepted as a starting point towards a fuller measure of selfgovernment and ultimate independence. The statement adds:
" * * * Both the Shaw and Simpson reports have vindicated
the demands repeatedly made by Arabs at home and abroad concerning the fundamental rights of the overwhelming majority
of the inhabitants of the land. We hope that these rights will be
completely achieved and that in the future independent and fully
representative government, Arab and Palestinian Jew will enjoy
equal rights."
The Editorial Comment in the Metropolitan daily press is
exemplified by the following extracts:
Thus, the New York Times on October 22, states:— "Great
Britain's new policy in Palestine is a blow at Zionist aspirations
only in the sense that it registers a verdict already pronounced
by the facts. The claims of political Zionism were always inadmissible. Neither justice nor the forces of nationalism let loose
by the war, nor Great Britain's pledges to the Arab people would
tolerate the imposition of Jewish ascendancy by high pressure
methods upon a native population four-fifths' hostile."
The Herald Tribune warns against the transfer of Zionist
headquarters to the United States thus: "But the suggestion made
by Dr. Weizmann, that Zionist headquarters might be transferred from London to the United States, must have been a very
hasty impulse. ***Britain is and will continue to be the mandatory
for Palestine, and the Zionists will have to cooperate with Britain
in any possible policy concerning the national home in Palestine.
To transfer headquarters to this country, which, to be sure, sup-
�NOVEMBER, 1930
9
plies most of the Zionist capital, would seem like an effort to
involve the United States in the argument. It is not a suggestion
which would be welcomed by either the British or the American
governments. It would hardly promote that international good
will upon which the future bi-cultural Palestine so largely depends; it might even increase the anti-Semitic currents in the
world which thoughtful Jews and Gentiles so heartily deplore."
The New York Evening Post states: "But it is time that
American and English Jewry recognized the realities of the
Palestine situation and appreciated the difficulties of the position
in which England finds herself."
The British Daily Mail of October 24 says: "The Balfour
Declaration was only one of many contradictory promises given
by the Allies in the war. * * * We have tried to force on the
people of Palestine the Zionist predominence which they detest
and to which they will only submit so long as they are held down
by British bayonets. That foolish experiment has got to stop,
and it has got to stop now."
In conclusion, the writer cannot refrain from expressing
amazement at the short-sightedness and numerous serious blunders committed by Zionist leaders. As one studies the events of
the last twelve years he is led to the inevitable conclusion that
Zionist leaders have failed to understand the psychology of the
Palestine Arab, or to comprehend the difficulties of the situation. Instead of trying to understand and cooperate with the
Arabs they put their trust in high pressures, and often false propaganda. They apparently went to Palestine in the belief that
money can accomplish everything. To be sure, large sums of
money have been expended to bolster up a movement which
Henry Morgenthau long ago characterized as "economically unsound, wrong in principle, and impossible of execution." But
high pressure methods often act as a boomerang and the pendulum now is swinging in the opposite direction and one is reminded of Lincoln's statement: "You cannot fool all the people
all the time."
It is earnestly hoped that after this clamour dies down,
sober reflection will convince Jewish leaders, who do not earn
their livelihood from the Zionist Movement, that the only hope
for the future lies in the abandonment of political Zionism, the
full recognition of Arab rights, and the pursuit of a policy in
which Arab and Palestinian Jew can live and work together in
harmony as they did before the ill-advised Balfour Promise.
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Syrian in American Art
By
AMEEN RIHANI
NATIONAL art, no matter how distinct in vigor and manA^ ner,
is seldom free from foreign influences; and when these
develop in harmony with the native elements, it begins to have
a universal appeal. The national spirit, in other words, gives
art a voice, the universal spirit gives it wings. But it does not
lose its identity when it achieves the universal. On the contrary,
its native character, like the foundation in a design, the undertone
in a rhapsody, the color scheme in a canvas, becomes in the contrast more distinct and often more impressive. In the process of
development, however, it must necessarily undergo certain
changes in form and technique, even in spirit. The foreign elements do not readily fit, do not easily fuse. They may be either
too crude or too refined, too racial or too exotic to harmonize.
The change must, therefore, be in the native expression, as well
as in the material for assimilation. It must be from within and
without.
This is, on the whole, the present state of American art; and
not the least among the contributors to its development, are those
whose Americanism is not the most valuable portion of their
heritage. The foreign groups, in other words, are becoming more
assertive, more emphatic in artistic expression; and the Syrians,
who are the youngest of the foreign groups but one of the oldest
in a cultural sense, are beginning to bid for the honor of participation. With an Oriental heritage of no mean significance—a
heritage that is neither too racial nor too exotic—they are destined
to a place of eminence in the American art of the future.
Already there are several artists in this country, singers, musicians and painters, who deserve to be better known and appreciated, at least, by the Syrians themselves. In the canvases and
miniatures of Nicholas Macsoud, the compositions of Alexander
Malouf, the voice of Madhat Sarbaji, are evidences of the Syrian's power of assimilative and creative expression. Western forms
are made to yield to the Orientalism of his spirit. The quaint
and the picturesque in the sensuous and the spiritual alike, are
vividly reflected through the medium of his adoption. The wr-istful appeal, the distilled, as it were, exoticism, the gesture that has
�NOVEMBER,
1930
11
in it the grace and languor of an ancient tradition, these are noteworthy features of the compositions of Malouf, the paintings of
Macsoud, the singing of Sarbaji. These three Syrians have already
received a certain recognition. Malouf's songs are sung in Syrian
and American homes j Macsoud's miniatures are especially prized
by the connoisseur, and Sarbaji's voice has been coupled by an
authority with Caruso's.
Personally, I do not feel a great joy in melody, native or
exotic, and I do not overvalue the purely picturesque. There is
in the two a fatal facility and a surface glamor; there is in the
two a common rhythm which readily drops to the common-place.
The Oriental heritage is, indeed, of deeper significance. Its spirituality is not less real than its sensuousness. It is always dual
in its emphasis. When I first heard in Beirut Madhat Sarbaji
mould the music of Arabic poetry into the classic forms of the
West,—when I first heard him sing Arabic in an opera technique,
—I realized the possibilities of a supreme harmony in the art of
two worlds. Here was for me the fascination of a double magic.
But the rarest joy I have yet experienced was when Fadwa
Kurban first visited Freike and there, from the balcony of my
home, strew over the wadi below the golden beauty of her voice.
It was one of those memorable moments that seldom recur in
life. The singing of Miss Kurban first evoked a memory of the
Metropolitan Opera in New York, when one afternoon I attended
a recital by Galli-Curci. But there, amidst the ruggedness of the
ancient Lebanon, over its scented vales and pine-clad heights,
was a presence that was neither Italian nor Syrian—a presence
divine. At that moment I felt that I was receiving a message,
through Fadwa Kurban, from the gods. After the Barcarole
she sang Izkorini in Arabic, and the village women coming up
from the spring below laid down their jars and the ploughmen
stood transfixed at their ploughs in a transport of joy. Even the
birds in the olive groves must have wondered at the voice of this
Syrian nightingale.
From Freike to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York
is a far cry. But if the presiding deities of a great musical centre
are always en rapport, as it were, with the Divine Giver, Fadwa
Kurban will yet attain the mundane heights of recognition and
fame. Some of the musical critics have already nodded, and a
few (^ the managers have paused while surveying the firmament.
Here is a voice that has the rarest qualities of what is called a
!
"
-
"• <
"
——
�The Hol
_
y Sepulchre, by Nicholas Macsoud
inis painting by the Syrian artist was once used by the Literary Digest as a cover d.
'{ffla^*^a^«^assi^MHfe**
. . ,v
�NOVEMBER, 1930
13
Fadwa (Fedora) Kurban
soprano colorature. To me it seems orchestral. In timbre and
range, in volume and texture and versatility, it combines the lyric
with the dramatic. It rises to the peaks of power and 'descends
to the murmuring depths of poesy with the same facility and
fascination. Fadwa Kurban, if the world of music is not out of
joint, will yet 'arrive'.
Another gifted Syrian is Anis Fuleihan who twelve years ago
made his first appearance in New York. And what he unfolded
of his knowledge of the masters in that recital at Town Hall,
was not the least of his talent. His creative as well as his interpretive power charmed his audience and made me wonder. Here
is a Syrian with the consciousness of the West and the intuitiveness of the East. Here is a student of the technique that is fundamentally intellectual and the emotion that is essentially esthetic.
The one is embodied in a science with instrumentalities of the
string and wood and brass, the other is reflected in a heritage
�14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
.which for centuries has been nourished with the poetry of religion, as well as the blood and tears of passion and romance. An
Occidental concept, an Oriental dream, an American background
—what possibilities for a musical art that may be more universal
in its appeal than anything that has hitherto come out of the
East or the West.
_ It may be presumptuous on my part to express a technical
opinion. But Anis Fuleihan seems to me to be more at home in
his Oriental compositions than either Debussy or Tchaikowsky.
He is even more real and more profound. He does not attempt
to dramatize his choice. He does not take, as a foreign composer
naturally would, the first conspicuous thing that appeals to him,
which is often a surface rune or a banal tintinnabulation, and impart to it, through the medium of string and brass—particularly
the latter—an artificial intensity. As a native he can go deeper
and without an effort. And he can evince from the head-springs
of secular and religious passions and the superimposed mosaic of
human desires, a rhythmic beauty of great scope;—a rhythmic
beauty which combines, for instance, the pious madness of the
dervish with the suggestive mellowness of the mystic}—a rythmic
beauty that emphasizes the gesture of the soul, as well as that
of the body. Anis Fuleihan at the piano, even in his rendition of
Bach or Liszt, has the subtlety and fervor of an Oriental esthete,
as well as the skill and power of an Occidental technician; and
as a composer, he is a born Oriental with two big black eyes in
his head and another eye, which can also hear, as the Sufi poet
would say, in his heart.
About the time Anis Fuleihan made his first appearance in
^ew York, another talented Syrian was struggling with his racial
heritage, through the medium of paint, in the woods of Pennsylvania. It was through Bach that I made the discovery. For when
I went to Bethlehem to attend the Bach Festival, which is one
ot the most notable musical events in this country, I was asked
to see an exhibition of paintings which strongly reflected, I was
told, the poetry and spirituality of the East. The name of the
artist, L. J. Halow, because of the slight corruption, was at first
misleading. But there was Esau or Isa, a fellow Syrian, who is
a descendant of the well known family of Hilu of the town that
bears its name in the neighborhood of Tripoli. And he spoke
Arabic with the accent of a beduin Arab! I was as much pleased
with the discovery as I was with the landscapes that were on
exhibition. For although he was still experimenting with color
�n»
NOVEMBER, 1930
15
and technique, his brush was unmistakably the obedient instrument of that ancient Syrian art that was cradled in Tyre and
crowned in Damascus. Here was a descendant of the Phoenicians
who invented dyes of beauty, notably the Tyrean purple, and
whose esthetic sense even in those days was highly developed.
This heritage of color and estheticism was the dominating note
in those early canvases of Halow; and through the process of
expression there was, to be sure, in form and perspective, a poetry
of suggestive charm and a spirituality of deep significance. The
artist in forest and meadow was indeed a descendant of the artists of the ancient temple. But the sacred passion was not without an artistic restraint. Here was a Syrian-American artist of
great promise^ I thought, and I was right glad to have been the
first to say so in print.
Since then Halow has been fulfilling his destiny and confirming my prediction. Although he came to this country in his teens,
his work js a florescence of a very ancient beauty, an Orientalism
of unfading fascination. In his early landscapes there is an adumbration of what has been developed in his recent canvases. The
artistic restraint in the former was but a promontory, as it were,
from which he was to soar on the wings of the imagination. But
his past, his country's past, is not far from him—it is in his soul.
With an Oriental fancy unrestrained and a Phoenician feeling for
color and texture undimmed by distance or time, hz unfolds a
symbolism of loveliness, he clothes with glorious purple an ancient
theme, he endows with permanence a mysticism of beauty. An
American critic would say of the purples of Halow that they
recall El-Greco. But why El-Greco? Why not Halow's very
ancestors, who discovered the Murex that yielded the purple
dye?^ Here again the Syrian's inspiration is from within, and not,
as with an Occidental in the Orient, from without. It is a thing
of the soul, and not of the intellect. In his mysticism and symbolism, as well as in the depth and texture of his colors, Halow
is making a distinct contribution to American art (1).
In the work of these Syrian artists, who should be a source
of pride especially to the Syrians of this country, is a strong evidence of what I have said on various occasions about the native
heritage of our people. It is a rich heritage, as rich as any other,
European or Asiatic; and when it finds exponents of genius, it
<
(1) I have not mentioned Khalil Gibran in this article, because his
work, in pen and brush, deserves a separate study. — A. R.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
becomes invaluable as an element of permanence and beauty in
American art. If the Syrian-Americans were more conscious of
this, they would be less prone, in the process of Americanization,
to discard the entire dowry of their heritage and their past. They
can, indeed, be better Americans, and more worthy of respect,
by adhering, in principle and practice, to what is of abiding worth
in that heritage and thus encourage the talented among them to
contribute to the art and culture of the country of their adoption—to help in the creation of an American art that shall be
more universal in its appeal than anything hitherto known in the
world.
In these paragraphs, therefore, is more than a tribute to a
few gifted Syrians. In them is also a conviction and an appeal.
The conviction is that only through the exchange of art and culture and the consequent creation of an international supermedium
of expression and appreciation can there be better understanding and a better guaranty of peace and good will among the
nations of the world. As for the tribute and the appeal, they are
actuated by a sentiment that is racial in origin and inter-racial
in scope. The artists I have mentioned are the pioneers of the
Syrian artists of the future; and that the future will be more
artistically and culturally expressive, more creative, than the
present, depends upon the Syrian-Americans themselves. If they
remember and continue to cherish the best there is in their heritage and encourage those who are exceptionally conscious and expressive of it, there is hope. If they do not, they will be lost in
the great melting pot, and the loss will entail something of real
value to the country of-their adoption.
In this connection, and with the permission of the Editor of
this Magazine, I wish to add another word. The new Syrian
generation can not- read Arabic, and its American education includes little or nothing about the mother land. Here then is the
mission of THE SYRIAN WORLD. Its Editor was the first to realize
the necessity of bringing to the young Syrians, in the language
they can read and understand, the knowledge that is lacking in
their education, the knowledge that gives them more self-confidence and self-respect, the knowledge that makes them better citizens, productive and creative in every walk of life, the knowledge,
in a word, that will save them as Syrians and ennoble them the
more as Americans. THE SYRIAN WORLD is indispensable to the
new Syrian generation.
�NOVEMBER, 1930
17
The Capital of the Umayyad
A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE EDITOR'S
TRIP ABROAD
By
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
XII.
T
Sv ^lted dme I C°Uld Spend m Damascus was
ant to be
devoted to serious business, but one cannot help making observations of diverse character in this city of hoary age and Checkered
historical record. It was rather pleasantly diverting to a new
comer to see the old and the new in close proximity aUisdZ'eVieW thC
P litiCal U
in
"f of
Sh D
^T
°
?"
*' country,
ot which
Damascus was
the storm
petrel,
against the
back
ground of count ess centuries, and above all,'to"be witness to\
palpable and rapidly growing revival of a national consciousness
manifesting itself in all forms of activity. That my ? me was so
metu^to'Z'f
"t8 li?itati
°n t0 a ^
» dfor
- ^"^
measure to the fortunate
circumstance
of **»
having
companions
my cousin Joseph Mokarzel, editor of the popufar BeiruTweZ
tndot oUfr'thae
^^^ BrAB
Pr min
t kaderS
jy>
f
the
native of Damascus
S
Partv F^khrv 1 °
T
°
^ian Nationalist
larty Kikhry Bey ,s -the scion ofr one of Damascus' old and
wealthy families who, due to his social position and m^mene land
holdings, cannot he p but be interested in politics. BuTkit be
said in justice to him that his interest is not perfunctory jfi
patriotic motives transcend by far any personal advantage that he
may have, and he has given proof of his sincerity of convk ion
by the heavy sacrifices he has undergone. His interest beside
h
ma^ofthe
S ^^ PConstituent
rlkiCaI PhaSAssembly
/ Akh°^and
^
-St
retariesof the Syrian
the author
of
the Syrian National Anthem, he is an active patron of the art
and a leading organizer and promoter of native industries Everv
where when together I had ample occasion to obse ve both Ws
Only on one occasion was I deserted by both of my compan-
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ions. It was when I declared my intention of
visiting the President and
other government officials. Naturally, Fakhry
Bey could not accompany
me by reason of his affiliation with the opposition party. But the editor too thought it inappropriate for him to
make the visit when
every issue of his paper
teemed with bitter criticism and uncomplimentary
cartoons of the President.
But by virtue of the fact
that I was neutral in my
politics, any idea of my
forgoing the visit was out
of the question.
President Tajeddin
waived formalities in according me an immediate
interview without previous appointment. He is
comparatively a young
man teeming with activity. He speaks rapidly
Sheikh Tajeddin El-Hasani
and with unmistaken poPresident of Syria
sitiveness. He could not
....
,
be drawn into discussing
politics but was voluble on other topics. The economic rehabilitation of the country seemed to be uppermost in his mind.
Roads were being built and irrigation projects undertaken which
held great promise. The district of Deir Ezoor offered immense
possibilities of development. Its soil is as rich as that of Egypt
and its water supply as plentiful. The Euphrates runs for a
distance of almost three hundred miles in Syria but is not yet
utilized in the least. The government is vigorously pushing the
training of technicians to carry on the work of reclamation and
�NOVEMBER, 1930
>
development. A score or
more are now being educated
in France at government
expenses.
The President, however,
appeared to be particularly
fond of the project of converting Bloudan into a firstclass summer resort. A large
modern hotel was being
erected in the town which
would not only attract Damascenes but visitors from
Palestine, Iraq and Egypt.
Bloudan being within the
Syrian state, the summer resort facilities it could then
provide would divert the
stream of tourists that now
flows into Lebanon, and consequently the stream of
gold.
19
Muhammad Kurd Alt
Syrian Minister of Education
This policy of husbanding the resources of the state seems
to be not simply the pet conviction of the executive but one that
is consistently followed by other departments. I had occasion to
have it demonstrated to me in a different form when I visited
Mohammad Kurd Ali, Minister of Education, upon leaving the
President's office. The Minister is as genial as he is learned.
rie is ranked among the foremost scholars of the East and has
recently published several authoritative works on the history of
Damascus. He received me with the informality and openheartedness evidently characteristic of the journalistic fraternity
everywhere, for the minister was formerly an editor. Naturally
the conversation revolved on education. To my inquiry as to the
progress being made in this direction, the minister evinced pride
in citing figures of new schools opened and the increasing attendance. Damascus, he said, now boasts a University of the first
rank, where all teaching is being conducted in Arabic, and which
is attracting students from Lebanon, Iraq and Transjordania.
Altogether there are now some 350 schools of all grades in the
country, including a teachers' training school. The radical policy
has been adopted by the government of sending a Moslem girl
��NOVEMBER, 1930
27
to France this year to specialize in the study of education. Altogether the government school attendance is about 30,000, which
figure is conaderably swelled by the large attendance in private
nnn
u PP7^nntioUS ,f°r public "**"«*">* in Syria were £216,000 gold in 1929, while similar appropriations in Iraq, whose
P?2lnT £um°re tha^ three and a haJf milliojls> did "« exceed
±200,000. This proved the great interest of Syria in public
edur
cation.
.
I
"But," remarked the minister dolefully, "we could achieve
much more had we competent teachers. We have the funds and
we appreciate the crying need for the spread of' elementary education, still we find ourselves compelled to proceed'Howiy until
such time that teachers can be trained to fill the ri%^
It was heartening to hear the minister outline his wide^educational program, but I failed to see the reason for delay when I
had just learned from no less a person than-the fV^ent of
Lebanon that the problem of the Lebanese was exactly *he opposite: I hey had an excess of the learned gentry in Lebanon so that
industry and agriculture suffered, and in order to maintain a
safe balance, they were planning to place restrictions on education Could not Syria draw on Lebanon for what the former
needed and the latter had, and thereby accelerate the educational
progress of the country?
The minister gave the following sad explanation: The Syrian
government had decreed a ban on the employment of Lebanese
in any of its departments in retaliation for a similar policy previously adopted by the Lebanese government. It was a pitiful
situation, but one that could not be helped. Not even the excuse
that Lebanon could not accommodate its own large army of office
seekers would be entertained.
If discussion of politics was anathema with the men in power
it was the order of the day with the Nationalists. One could not
help but feel himself in the maelstrom of politics when in the
company of such a man as Fakhry Bey Baroody. I expressed a
wish to meet Hashem Bey El-Atassi, leader of the Nationalist
Farty and President of the Constituent Assembly. The latter
was not averse to giving me a lengthy account of the recent political history of Syria and explaining the Nationalists' grievances.
The interview was treated separately and has already been published in THE SYRIAN WORLD.
Every hour that passed proved that seeing Damascus with
�The tomh of St. Jahn Chrysostom still preserved as a revered shrine in the great mosque"of
the Umayyads in Damascus
^^^^^MWWWBI"
SSSHBMHHHHHBHHHBBHfcL.
3
O
�—
.D
NOVEMBER, 1930
25
such a distinguished guide as Baroody was a potent advantage.
Of course the foremost place of interest in the city was the great
Umayyad Mosque. Our route to it was through Souk El-Tawile
known to the world as the street called Straight. It has been
repaired since the famous bombardment of 1925, but its original
aspect has been retained, roof and all. It seethes with activity
and the,shops present all the display that is wont to be expected
in this most famous of Oriental bazaars. It leads directly to the
great mosque, where one is treated, even oefore entering to a
view of its magnificence. What must have been the peristyle of
the edifice when it still was a Christian basilica remains evident
in the huge granite columns in front of the main entrance The
space between them has now been utilized for book and curio
shops. Building encroachment has been carried to the very walls
or the mosque.
Overshoes were offered us before entering the sacred precincts
but seeing that our companion had shed his shoes we did likewise!
1 he magnificence of the great inner court was only exceeded by
,at °* the mosque proper whose main entrance is from the court
Ihe mihrab and tribune are masterpieces of Oriental art The
tomb of St. John Chrysostom, still standing in the center of the
mosque is not only maintained in good repair but highly revered
by the Moslems. A number of worshippers were devoutly engaged at their prayers, but presently an imam came to our host
with a tale of woe: "A rug has been stolen from the mosque
yesterday, he exclaimed, wringing his hands. He seemed disconsolate.
"But how could the thief have escaped with it?" asked our
guide in surprise.
"It is one of the small prayer rugs," came the reply "The
thief must have tucked it under his jubbah."
To see the countless rugs and carpets covering the immense
floor space of the mosque, one wonders how a small rug could
be so soon missed.
In the fountain of the court were more faithful performing
their ablutions. They were so intent on their task that they did
not as much as give a glance to the sight-seers. Our guide would
show us a sight that few so far had seen. He conducted us back
to a corridor near the main entrance and pointed to a place on the
wall where the plaster had recently fallen as a result of a shock
of unknown cause. It revealed a beautiful landscape design done
*—
" —
�wmmmmmmmmmmmmmmimmmm
24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Interior view of the great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, showing the tribune and the tomb of St. John
in exquisite mosaic. It is a known fact that the whole great edifice, both from within and without, was at one time covered with
similar work.
It was with regret that we left this great building considered
not only the most magnificent in Syria but among the finest in
the East. What great processions and ceremonies it must have
witnessed in the brilliant history of the city since the advent of
Islam. The tall minarets rising on the four sides still issue the
call to prayer as when the city was the capital of the Umayyads
and later of Saladin. From the great court one can see only the
canopy of the sky, but then the spacious dimensions of the mosque
from a sufficiently vast horizon, whether to the eye or to the
memory. It bears witness in every column and wall and pavement stone to the procession of great historical events of which
it saw the enactment through the succession of centuries.
It was but fitting that from this mosque of great historical
associations we visit an equally memorable shrine just without
the walls on a side alley. It is the tomb of the famous Sultan
Salah Ed-Deen, known to the West as Saladin, and his vizier
'Imad Ud-Deen. The remains of the great Moslem ruler and
general who crushed the power of the crusaders in Syria lie in a
modest resting place devoid of anything equalling the splendor
of similar or lesser historical personages of Europe and America.
——
.-
�NOVEMBER, 1930
25
Perhaps his injunction is
still observed when, at the
approach of death, he
caused a crier to go about
the streets of Damascus
carrying a shroud and
admonishing the pious
Moslems that the few
yards of cloth were all that
the great sultan would
take with him to the grave.
A short walk hence
brought us to the Adeliah
School buildings, erected
bytheAl-Adel (the Just),
and reminiscent of an era
in the history of Damascus
when it was the capital of
learning in the East and
perhaps the world. It was
the period when the city
boasted of three hundred
and sixty schools of various grades, some twenty
Fakhry Bey Baroody
of which formed what f
would compare to our pub- le °* lhe most P°PuJ^ leaders of
the S rian
lie school system in that
y
Nationalist Party
they supported their pupils
from the income of special trusts and foundations. It now houses
the national museum of art and serves as a home for the Arab Academy of Science. The Academy comprises in its membership not
alone the foremost Arabic scholars of the East but the outstanding Arabist of the West. This institution forms the nucleus of
the renaissance of Arab learning in Syria.
Again emerging to the narrow streets of Damascus, one is
led, through open alley and covered bazaar, to what is truly
termed the Arabian Nights' Palace. The approach may be disappointing and is certainly deceiving. The great arched doorway
opening on the street is like many other entrances to sumptuous
Damascene palaces, a drab and dreary aperture in a high wall that
well conceals the beauty and splendor within. But once past
the door one is literally dazzled by the spectacle of beauty and
�r
rm—rp^
26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Section of the inner court of the great palace of Al-Azm in
Damascus
spaciousness that is unfolded to the eye. It was the famous palace
of the family of Al-Azm we were visiting which was now turned
mto a museum of Oriental art
pooh ZtntTh111 SUperflu°US f° refer to ^ « Y fountains and
the mode h the,Spaa°7 mner court when in Damascus even
the modest home has its fountain, and when in more pretentious
residences spouts are found in the main reception half and even
triv'ance fr°TS- ft ** *? **
> k n<* «* ordinary con
tnvaice of sink and faucet-it is the continuous running stream
sort or another of artistic et
SiTLT
> > » «"•» Joy is never
i - compietf
RS
wkhou^t
DamaSCeneS music
a d
The Al-Azm Palace was the residence of the Emir El-Hai
or commander of the pilgrimage, a position of great Tesdge and
fabulous income when Damascus was the starting pSff the
th£ M slems fro
Erf
% MT
°
- great
all"he
coun!
tries of SfTT
the East gathered
,n ^
it for the march
in one
caravan
across the Arabian desert. This event was attended bfgrlt'omp
and ceremony, and the commander of the pilgrimage wielded
over all those ,n the caravan the authority of the ship's c^ak
because he assumed even greater responsibilities. Surdythe'dan
gers attending the long march across the burning desert sani
�NOVEMBER,
1930
27
was attended by the same dangers as those besetting an ocean
voyage in past times. Now conditions have changed in both cases
The greater part of the pilgrimage route as far as Medina is
now covered by rail over a line built in the reign of the Sultan
Abdul Hamid with Moslem contributions. Besides, the automobile has robbed the pilgrimage of all its former frills and thrills
and danger and ceremony.
Imagine, then, the income from the pilgrimage tax, and the
value and volume of gifts from wealthy pilgrims, that came to
the commander of the pilgrimage caravan. Imagine, also, that
a large proportion of this great income was lavished on the creation and decoration of a palace in the traditional manner of Oriental conception, and you have Al-Azm Palace in Damascus.
The reception halls of the palace are completely covered with
mosaic expressive of the most delicate Oriental art. They also
are invariably constructed with a raised dais, covering almost
three-quarters of the floor space of the room, a relic of the times
in the East when hosts and guests shed their slippers by the door
before treading on the thick-napped carpets, or sitting crosslegged on the silk cushions and divans. Very little of the movable
furniture in the palace remains, however, except it be in the
harem quarters which visitors are not permitted to see, because
they are occupied by the families of the French officers in charge.
What would have been a magnificent modern palace, is the
unfinished building of marble and white stone which rises'on the
right side of the great court. It stands out in -vivid architectural
contrast to the older and distinctly Oriental buildings grouped
around the court. Perhaps it is best that it should thus remain
a subject of study of the old and the new in close proximity
In a large room by the main entrance was a motly assortment
of Oriental ware on display. I inquired if they represented any
special art collection, and was rewarded for my interest by the
shocking explanation that they were private merchandise on consignment for sale. What a prostitution!
Under the expert guidance of Fakhry Bey we were able to
cover considerable ground in a comparatively short time, and
benefit by the best expert advice obtainable. Only in one instance
did Fakhry Bey's store of knowledge fail, and that was on the
occasion of our visit to Bab Sharki, or the Eastern Gate, immortalized by the escape of St. Paul from Damascus. Our host-guide
was not acquainted with the details of this historic incident, nor
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A salon in a sumptuous Damascene home giving an idea of
Oriental conception of luxury
are many Christians who should be, for that matter
But the
S
8
Wd
thC Wind W fr m Which
us
uTw"
!^down
° basket, mute
SdW«
us St
St IPaul
was',"
lowered
in a °wicker
andtell
ao-
y
ntro er ible witnesses to
rr I ^r r i
^ **&^ of z
legend We reached the historic spot by a long winding route
that took us alternate y through Baghdad Street to Bab Touma
otherwase known as the Christian quarter, thence to Bab SWki
�NOVEMBER, 1930
29
without the old city walls. Travel could not be fast owing to
the congestion in the narrow winding streets, and it was well
that it were so, for one then had a fuller opportunity to drink in
the intoxicating allurement and fascination of a truly Oriental
atmosphere apparently preserved stationary and unchanging from
the most ancient time. It was the East in its original colors and
heterogenous and crowded activities, going about its daily routine of life unconsciously as in the remotest ages of antiquity.
A more beautiful animated picture of one's dreams and fancies
of the days of the Arabian Nights could hardly be conceived. It
was the reality substantiating the dream in all its color and
glamor.
We profited of our presence in the Bab Touma quarter to
visit the Na'san factories of Damascene handicraft. Here we
saw the skilled workmen at their tasks of carving and inlaying
wood with mother-of-pearl, of hammering brass or inlaying it
with silver and gold, and of weaving rugs or fine cloth. No child
labor laws are in effect in Damascus, and children in their early
teens may be seen bending all their energy on the execution of
their allotted tasks. But the pity felt for them is mixed with unbounded admiration for their deftness and precision. It would
seem an advantage that they grow with their art—for art indeed
are their wonderful products, that could be had at such reasonable prices! They still grow and live under conditions reminiscent
of the ancient guilds. What is surprising, and would appear peculiarly Eastern, is that trades and handicrafts are not only confined to families but to religious classes. Hence we were given,
all innocently and in a matter-of-fact way, the curious information that brass work is the exclusive field of the Moslems, the
woodwork of the Christians and the tapestry and rug weaving
of the Armenians. To further illustrate religious lines of demarkation, Damascus, as well as most other cities of Syria, has its
separate quarters for Moslems, Christians and Jews. Christians
have subdivisions according to their different sects. While now
has come the added complication of creating Armenian quarters.
But in the old city of Damascus there are signs of a healthy
industrial rejuvenation not alone in the line of old crafts but in
most modern fields of endeavor. In all staple necessities the city
can be self-supporting. Fakhry Bey illustrated present conditions to me by proudly pointing out that every article he wore
from head to foot was the product of home industry, excepting
msamSmmmm
,-,,-.
�'.„:;., , Mil* HH-^
30
'THE SYRIAN WORLD
the tarboush and the pass-time beads. His sense of humor made
him fully appreciate the purport of my remark that the two
things he excepted were the on~s most distinctively Oriental
Damascus is a city of a past and a present, and by all reasonable indications, it also is a city of a great future, and as such
it would be presumptuous on the part of anyone to attempt to
condense a description of all things of interest in it and about it
within the limits of a single article. A volume could be written
not only about the city itself but about any number of interesting single places in it. Both the reader and I, therefore, have to
be content with the foregoing passing remarks. What may be
truly said, however, is that the real beauty, the prepossessing
romantic appeal, the distinctive picturesqueness of the city, can"
never be fully appreciated unless seen.
The city left on me a very deep impression, as did the many
ot its citizens whom it was my good fortune to meet. To Fakhry
Bey Baroody, who was so generous in his hospitality and solicitous
in his attention, I owe the fullest measure of thanks. After what
1 had seen of him I am not surprised at the degree of popularity
he enjoys. I vividly remember one of his shining characteristics
—his liberality with kisses. Everyone we met—and many they
were-he greeted with a fond kiss. Naturally we encountered
only the male folks, and to them I strictly confine my observations It is not surprising, therefore, that he should be so idolized by the youth of Damascus who do his bidding whatever the
sacnnce And since kisses are his specialty, it would perhaps
please him to learn that some are now being sent him from across
the seas.
Ships Sail Out
By
ALICE MCGEORGE
The ships sail out on a glassy sea,
Farther and farther away they go;
Will ever my ship come back to me?
The ships sail out on a glassy sea;
A sailor's life is full and free;
To the sailor's wife the sea 's a foe.
The ships sail out on a glassy sea,
Farther and farther away they go.
�NOVEMBER, 1930
31
ALI ZAIBAQ
(QuicksiherJ
THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF THE
CHIEF OF POLICE OF THE CALIPH HAROUN
AL-RASHID, OF THE CITY OF BAGDAD.
Translated from the original Arabic by
SALLOUM A. MOKAUZEL and THADDEUS S. DAYTON
CHAPTER
III.
QUICKSILVER'S STRATAGEM
OUICKSILVER, after having left the two men who had been
sent out to waylay him, whom he encountered at the well in
the desert, proceeded on his way without thinking further of the
incident. He had left them bound and gagged, but the next day
a caravan chanced to nass that way and set them free. One of these
spies returned to Cairo, but the other, Hassan Ibn El-Husry,
pursued Quicksilver to the Enchanted City in order to contrive
his destruction. But in the course of the whole journey he found
no trace of him, Quicksilver having pursued a different course.
Thus it happened by the will of God that Hassan Ibn ElHusry made his appearance at the gate of the Enchanted City
about two hours before Quicksilver's arrival, thinking that the
latter had already reached there.
No sooner did Hassan, however, draw near to the statue of
brass than it shouted its long-awaited cry which was re-echoed
by the inhabitants of the city who flocked forth from the gates
brandishing their weapons, bent on defending themselves against
the invader. Upon seeing this, Hassan drew his sword and attacked the oncoming multitude, engaging them in a fierce combat.
It was an hour of such desperate struggle that it would cause
the hair of the newborn to turn to gray.
All having hurried forth from the palace on hearing the
shout of the statue of brass the Princess was left alone." The
blacks quickly seized the occasion to enter the city and the royal
1
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
palace. They found the beautiful daughter of the King whom
they bound and put in a sack and bore out of the city by another
route which they traversed until they reached a secluded cave in
the mountains where they unbound her. It was there that she
was discovered by Quicksilver who effected her deliverance as
we have already related.
Quicksilver and the Princess made their way toward the
Enchanted City until they were near the great gate where the
battle was being waged. Quicksilver begged his companion to
tarry until he could ascertain the cause of the tumult. Therefore
she remained hidden in a walled garden while Quicksilver ran
swiftly until he came upon the scene of the conflict and beheld
Hassan fighting valiantly against great odds, close to death, being sorely pressed by his opponents.
Quicksilver recognized him instantly, and divined that he
had followed him solely for the purpose of contriving his death.
He stood for a moment waiting to see the outcome of the fray.
Presently the people of the city succeeded in overcoming Hassan.
They bound him and were taking him in captivity back toward
the city. Thereupon Quicksilver cried out to the guards who
were about one hundred in number:
"Woe to you! Release this man, or I shall put you to a most
ignoble death which shall be a lesson to all who will not be admonished."
Saying which he attacked them with surprising valor, striking
with his formidable sword, until they dispersed in flight. Then
he approached Hassan and cut his bonds, and lifted him from the
ground. Hassan, whose heart had now changed and who was
drawn through gratitude to loyalty to Quicksilver, thereupon
addressed him saying:
"Know, O my lord, that the sole reason which prompted me
to undertake this journey was to bring about your death; but had
it not been for you I would now be surely among those who
breathe no longer."
Then Hassan begged Quicksilver's forgiveness, promising
him his devotion forever afterward.
Meanwhile the people of the city had congregated about them
so that the plain outside the walls became filled with horsemen
and footmen. Quicksilver seeing that he would be powerless if
he were forced to contend Jong against this army, made haste
to inform them what had befallen the Princess, and how he alone
�NOVEMBER, 1930
33
had been able to effect her deliverance from the Blacks. Having
thus dissipated the wrath of the people, he returned to the place
where he had left the Princess and brought her into the presence
of her father the King, who rejoiced exceedingly and thanked
Quicksilver profusely. After this the King and his guards proceeded to the cave where the Blacks lay under the influence of
Benj. They were restored to consciousness, tightly bound, and
placed in a dungeon.
When the King had returned to his palace, accompanied by
Quicksilver and Hassan, he could not control his joy over the
deliverance of his daughter and begged Quicksilver to name any
reward that he might desire. He gave him at once a magnificent
palace and ordered for him and his companion provisions of food
and drink of which they partook to their satisfaction and then
retired for rest and sleep for they were exceedingly weary from
the long journey and the day's ordeal of combat.
The next morning they appeared before the King who received them most graciously and reiterated to Quicksilver his
gratitude, his praise for his chivalry and his promises of great
reward.
He asked him what disposition should be made of the Black
captives, whereupon Quicksilver demanded that they be brought
before him. No sooner had they been conducted into his presence
than Quicksilver, overcome by thought of the baseness of the
act they had attempted, drew his sword, sprang upon them and
caused their severed heads to roll in the dust. He left one alive,
however,—their leader, whose nose and ears he cut off.
"Now go to your master," shouted Quicksilver, "tell him
what has befallen your companions, and show him the degradation that has been visited upon yourself."
The leader of the Blacks fled from the Enchanted City with
all speed, and did not delay until he had returned to the City of
the Blacks from whence he came and had fullv informed his
King of all that had occurred.
Quicksilver acquainted the King of the Enchanted City
with his whole story from the beginning to the end: how he
had left his country to gain possession of the magic box of the
All Seeing Eye in compliance with the task that had been imposed
upon him by the Chief of the Sultan's secret police. He asked the
King's help in the accomplishment of his purpose, and the King
replied:
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
34
"Know, O Quicksilver, that you have bound me to you with
gratitude for the great favors you have done me, which I shall
never forget, and even if you should demand of me even my
whole kingdom I would readily grant it. But, O Quicksilver,
know you further, that the magic box of the All-Seeing Eye that
you have set forth to obtain is beyond the reach of all possibility.
Many a man has sought it before you, but in vain. I can give
you no aid in this matter. You alone must seek it in the Island of
Enchantment."
"Now this caused great events to be brought about, a recital
of which will be given hereafter," said the tale teller, "Allah
guard us until the morrow, and you shall learn what befell Quicksilver in the Island of Enchantment."
The Rubaiyat
By
THOMAS ASA
THOU canst in this late hour bring with thee
Visions of Orient lands that Omar knew;
The calm and past'ral breath of Arcady,
The storied past of Times, then old, now new.
Wise Omar mused within thy fragrant scope,
Mused with FitzGerald in another clime;
And left the world the vision of no hope
In other lands than ours, all else to Time.
What realms of truth and beauty has he left
In thy still form, gift of another shore;
The dreams of Youth and Love have since bereft
All thought and hope of what might be before.
Beneath a sky-enraptured cypress tree
He moulded into perfect thought thy shape;
Left to the listening Spheres what well might be
The beginning and end of Life—the Grape.
——
�NOVEMBER, 1930
35
Book Reviews
ANOTHER RIHANI BOOK ON ARABIA
Arabian Peak and Desert, by Ameen Rihani. 280 pp. Houghton
Mifflin Company, Boston, $5.00.
flIHANFs material on Arabia seems to be inexhaustible. During each of the last three years he has been giving out a large
volume dealing with a different section or a different phase of
that country of mystery and charm. And, to be sure, his study
is as thorough as is his description colorful and entertaining. One
need not fear a dull moment when traveling with Rihani through
any part of Arabia, coast or hinterland, desert or settlement, on
mule or on camel, and in the company of kings and potentates or
that of plain townsfolk or soldiers in rags. Travel with Rihani
m Arabia is a thorough education on that country hitherto called
mysterious because of the dearth of authentic information about
it. Now, however, not only do we have the information but we
are treated to it in the most palatable form, coming from the
pen of a master artist.
Rihani's latest work, Arabian Peak and Desert, forms the
third of a series dealing with the author's experiences and observations in Arabia in 1923-24. The former volumes dealt, the first
with Al-Hijaz and King Ibn Saoud, published under the title of
Maker of Modern Arabia, and the second with other Arab potentates and their dominions and was entitled Around the Coasts of
Arabia. Such was the demand for these authoritative works on
a country which is fast claiming the attention of the world that
the first editions were soon exhausted.
Rihani's latest book covers the one important section of Arabia
with which he failed to deal extensively in his former volumes.
MA aman, a country ruled by an autocrat and still adhering to
the practise of Islam in its pristine purity, may be termed the
most inaccessible part of Arabia. And this not because of its geological nature as much as for the fierce suspicion its people entertain for foreigners. And if the foreigners seeking entry be Christians their chances of success are reduced almost to the vanishing
6
point,
•
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Yet Ameen Rihani, thanks to his mission of working for
Arab unity and to a letter of introduction from King Hussein
which he carried to the Image of Perfection Imam Yahya, was
able to reach San'a, the capital of Al-Yaman, perched in the mountains at an altitude of over 8000 feet. But that very potent
medium proved the cause of a very unhappy experience, since it
led to the incarceration of the author under the strictest surveillance over an extended period of time. This may be attributed
to the efficiency of King Hussein's secretary who, in drafting the
letter, failed to mention the name of the man it meant to introduce. Hence the added suspicion of the too cautious Imam.
But the reader need not fear any dullness in the description
of those days of anxiety and growing aggravation of the author.
Of a truth, the chapters dealing with his captivity are the most
interesting. The subtlety of Arab diplomacy is nowhere better
illustrated and the author here surpasses himself in vividity of
description and wealth of anecdote and power of analysis.
Aside from its intrinsic interest and value, this, as well as
all other books by Rihani, should be held in special consideration
by the author's countrymen to whom he brings honor and prestige
by his valuable contributions to knowledge and literature. It
should hurt us in our national pride to find such a gifted one
among us more honored and appreciated by others. And our
appreciation of him should not be confined to mere verbal expressions, but rather should be expressed in the acquisition of his
works so as to better profit by his knowledge. It is not too much
to hope that a collection of Rihani's works should form a prominent part of every cultured Syrian's library.
USAMAH IN ARABIC
Usamah's Memoirs (Arabic), edited by Dr. Philip K. Hitti, 294
pp. Princeton University Press.
THE appearance of this work ushers a new era in the publication of Arabic books in America, inasmuch as it presages the
creation of a publishing center in America that may be hoped to
rival, if not excel, similar establishments in Europe, where the
researches of Oriental scholars might find ready and adequate
expression.
—
I
�NOVEMBER, 1930
37
Usamah's Memoirs is the Arabic original of the work which
appeared in English under the title of "An Arab-Syrian Gentleman of the Crusades", (Columbia University Press, 1929). Dr.
Hitti is responsible for its publication in both languages, he being
the translator of the one and the editor of the other. The book
is a valuable literary discovery. A review of the English edition, previously published in THE SYRIAN WORLD, gave an outline of the contents.
What lends the later Arabic edition its particular importance
is the fact that it is now made available for the first time in the
original. This was brought about by the happy combination of two
elements—the tireless scholarly efforts of Dr. Hitti, and the moral and material cooperation of those to whom the editor gives
acknowledgement in his introductory note, namely, "Professor
Harold H. Bender, chairman of the Department of Oriental
Languages and Literatures, Mr. James T. Gerould, librarian of
Princeton University, and the Mergenthaler Linotype Company."
The dedication is made to Mr. Joseph T. Mackey of the Mergenthaler Linotype Company.
The mention of the Mergenthaler Linotype Co. in this connection reveals another splendid contribution of this American
concern in the promotion of Arabic typography. Having adapted
its composing machine to Arabic some twenty years ago, it has
been assiduously striving at improvement ever since, so that the
Linotype is now equipped to produce Arabic composition of the
most exacting nature and meeting all scholarly requirements.
The first scholarly work composed on the Arabic Linotype was
"As-Suyuti's Who's Who in the Fifteenth Century," (The Syrian-American Press, New York, 1927). The Princeton University Press has since been equipped with Arabic Linotypes of which
"Usamah's Memoirs" are the first product. This is indeed a
great step forward in Arabic publishing in America, and considering the resources of Princeton University and the wealth of
its Arabic manuscripts that await the editor and the printer, nothing now seems to impede the Princeton University Press from
flourishing into a great Arabic publishing center. Surely this
would stand as a monument to American scholarship and its love
for the propagation of knowledge. "Usamah's Memoirs" are set
down as Volume I in Princeton's Oriental Texts, and it is to be
hoped that other volumes will be forthcoming fast and frequently.
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The type assortment used in producing the book proves the
vast range of which the Linotype is capable in Arabic composition.
It is cause for regret, however, that the composition falls short
of coming up to the highest standard of the machine. The average reader may not be as conscious of these defects as the typographical expert, but the eye accustomed to certain forms in the
complicated Arabic composition would resent the commission of
digressions not integral to the machine, and surely not coming
within the scope of its mechanical limitations. It is to be hoped
that cause for such criticism as we feel being compelled now to
make, will be obviated in the future.
A FRENCHWOMAN'S DEFENSE OF THE SYRIAN
REVOLUTION
A Damas Sous les Bombes—(French)—by Alice Poulleau. 15 Fr
Bretteville Freres, Rue de la Republique, Yvetot (S-I)n
France.
THE popular French adage "Plus royaliste que le roi" may
well apply to Mile. Alice Poulleau in that she seems to be
more Syrian than the Syrians. For irrevocable proof, one onlv
need refer to her latest book and peruse but a few pages at ran?!??;,At.times .sh,e expresses her sympathies in such strong terms
that the imparfcal reader's faith in her impartiality is put to the
severest test. She mercilessly lashes her own countrymen on
every occasion and discovers attenuating circumstances for every
motive or act of the Syrians. It surely is a great test of moral
courage to publish such a work, and the fact that the French ladV
bearded the task proclaims all the more her great sympathy for
the Syrians and her championship of their cause
"In Damascus under Bombardment" represents the diary of
the author as originally written under the impressions of the
moment. Mile. Poulleau had lived in Syria and Egypt fo^
spirit. That she found herself in Damascus during the tragic
days of the Syrian revo ution of 1925 must have sefmed to her
S!T m:sf°Te'? ** She lived throu&h ^e danger and
was able to witness first-hand the desperate struggle of her brother Syrians for liberty. And as behooves an enfghtened teacher
�NOVEMBER, 1930
39
and a woman of most delicate sensibility, the human appeal in the
situation proved the strongest to her.
She records the sufferings of the
women and children and the heavy
sacrifices of the men with the minimum regard for war exigencies. The
photographic illustrations in the
book, some of which were taken by
the author herself, bear out her text
admirably. One sees only scenes of
ruin and desolation and executions.
As a human document this book
may be considered a valuable contribution to literature on the Syrian
revolution. It is doubtful, however,
that it could have much value as a
work of reference from the political
point of view. Although there is an
apparent attempt to give the causes
and results of the revolution, they
are unmistakably biased and highly
colored. Plainly an effort is made to
put the onus on the French, an effort
which testifies to the author's love
for the Syrians and her championship
of their cause. To cite a single illustration one may refer to her account
of the partial destruction of the AlAzm Palace. While she deplores the
Alice Poulleau
irreparable loss of some invaluable
in the house dress of a
objects of art, caused admittedly by
Damascene lady
the attack of the rebels on the palace
in an effort to take General Sarrail prisoner, she condones the
acts of the Syrian revolutionists and blames the French High
Commissioner for having caused the destruction by his presence.
The same spirit of untempered criticism of the French permeates
the whole book, even to the point where she expresses an unmitigated feeling of shame for some of the acts of her own countrymen.
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Because she is French and offers herself as a voluntary witness, Mile. Poulleau's testimony cannot fail of being of great
weight in support of the Syrian Nationalist cause. As a war
document, however, her book could be reckoned most in its sentimental value—the description of the human side of the reign of
terror in Damascus during the revolution, but owing to its obvious
partiality it fails of being impressive as a legal document. It
surely should prove valuable ammunition in the hands of the
Nationalists who may be expected to avail themselves fully of
the opportunity.
Of one thing there can be no question, and that is Mile.
Poulleau's genuine sincerity in her love for Syria and the Syrians. Although she has returned to live in her native country,
she finds her greatest joy in making her surroundings reminiscent
of the years she spent in Syria. There is a room in her house for
Syrian art, as well as a room for Syria in her heart. She is always
singing the praise of Syria and defending it with vehemence and
ability on every occasion. The writer can testify to this fact from
personal knowledge.
S. A. M.
The Garment Fair
By
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
QAN it, thy cherished, treasured name,
Unflinching face the eye of light?
Has it escaped the touch of shame—
Unsoiled, still comely to the sight?
Has it, thy petted, fondled heart,
Escaped the hard'ning hand of timeDoes it with all the grieving smart,
Or blithely with the joyous, chime?
Then, 'should thy cloak of purple rare,
Or sacking coarse, if such it be,
Seem wondrous bright and passing fair
To them who have the light to see.
�DipVEMBERy 1930
41
EDITORIAL COMMENT
THE LESSONS OF THE
PAST
T'HERE would seem to be as
much fascination in exploring records of the past as in
speculating about the possibilities of the future. Both hold
that element of mystery which
has ever challenged human
love of discovery. And in this
urge for exploration and research may be found the key
to h uman progress. It would be
a drab and monotonous world
indeed that would not be kept
on moving by the potent forces
of science, motivated by the human craving to explore the unknown.
Especially now, when he has
reached a comparatively high
stage of development, is man
anxious to wrest from the bosom of the past the secret of his
gradual progress. Lands known
for their old civilizations are
being overrun by archaeological
expeditions in the hope of discovering traces that might tend
to shed further light on the secrets of the past. With every
new discovery of an important
Jink in the chain of human evolution in the past comes a thrill
that rocks the world even more
than does a new invention. Human thoroughness would not be
satisfied until the whole mystery of the origin and evolution
of the race is cleared.
Hence our elation and surprise at every important find of
old human records of civilization in Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia and other lands of antiquity in the Near East, as well
as in Asia, Europe and America.
The Incas archaeological discoveries in Yucatan may be cited as
a recent instance.
What is of especial importance to us Syrians is the growing evidence of the widespread
influence of our forebears,
Phoenicians or Arabs, in the
spread of civilization. True,
some records of their achievements have been preserved and
are appropriately evaluated.
But much more might be hidden
that will add lustre to their
name once their spirit of enterprise becomes more fully known
and appreciated. And what is of
especial significance is that most
of the important recent discoveries seem to bear some relation
to our ancestors.
The recent discovery of a
Mexican tribe speaking pure
Arabic reported by the Associated Press adds another link
to the chain of circumstantial
evidence that the Phoenicians,
�42
or other Near Eastern people,
were the first to discover America. It is to be hoped that the
scientific expedition reported to
have been equipped by the
Mexican authorities will succeed
in clearing this new and strange
mystery. It would be indeed a
strange turn of fortune if the
iirst reports were authenticated
and the happy result brought
rbout by an itinerant Syrian
peddler.
We may remind our readers
in this connection of another
similar discovery in the Amazon
Valley also reported by the Associated Press. Mention may
also be made to the contention
of some scholars that the Aztec
civilization of Mexico had its
inception in Egyptian origin.
Witness the pyramids and architectural principles common in
both countries. The Egyptians
were not a seafaring people
but cooperated in the conduct
of trade with the Phoenicians,
?nd the latter, being familiar
with Egyptian customs and
usages, may be reasonably said
to have been carriers of the
Old World civilization to the
New World, which they adopted when hardships of sea travel
in the days of old forced them
to settlejiermanently in the new
land they had discovered.
Truly there is incentive and
hope in looking to the future,
but let us not forget the thrill
of romance, the benefit of
THE SYRIAN WORLD
knowledge and the valuable
lessons of experience that dwell
in the past.
THE CORPORATION
|N the matter of the corporation we have chosen to make
haste slowly. The able business
men who compose the board of
directors are giving to THE
SYRIAN WORLD corporation the
same devoted attention they apply to the management of their
own affairs. Their wise counsel,
based on ripe and experienced
reasoning, may be depended
upon to guide the steps of the
young collective Syrian publishing enterprise along the
path that will lead to unfailing
success, inshallah!
But this wise and measured
course should not be misunderstood as being the result of inertia or indifference. The decision of the Board is to the effect
that the corporation will not assume active control and management of the publication until
a definite sum is raised from the
sale of stock. The object is to
insure the smooth and uninterrupted working of the corporate
machinery once it is set in motion.
Our friends who on different
occasions have expressed their
faith in THE SYRIAN WORLD
and their readiness to substantiate that faith by subscription
�.'KOV EMBER, 1930
to stock once the publication is
incorporated, could materially
hasten the execution of the wide
program laid down for it by
their immediate subscriptions.
"We would urge them to send in
their subscriptions regardless of
the amount, not only as proof
of their faith but to insure the
widest possible distribution of
stock. We need not repeat that
holding stock in THE SYRIAN
WORLD corporation implies not
only a sense of patriotism but
is also a mark of good business
judgment which visions the
possibilities of exploiting in full
a virgin field replete with possibilities.
We trust that the response
will prove both immediate and
substantial, that THE SYRIAN
WORLD might inaugurate with
the new year the wide and comprehensive program that will
insure its greater circulation, its
stronger appeal and benefit as
an advertising medium, and its
more appropriate ^representation of higher and finer Syrian
culture.
KNOW YOURSELF
gUCH a glowing description
of the beauty of Lebanon's
scenery as has come from the
pen of Dr. Sylvester Beach,
had it been the contribution of
a Lebanese or Syrian, would
have been attributed to undue
-_
43
enthusiasm and not at all warranted by fact. But the testimony of Dr. Beach is incontrovertible. He is a world traveler who can well cite instances
for comparison. He mentions
the outstanding beauty spots of
Europe, Asia and America and
unhesitatingly states his conviction that Lebanon affords the
most beautiful beauty spot on
Earth. We have no reason to
take issue with him.
That passage of Dr. Beach's
article copied in the October issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD
should prove of manifold interest to Syrians in America. It
should prove an incentive to
them to make an occasional trip
to their motherland to acquaint
themselves with its unequalled
resources of natural beauty to
which their eyes are being opened by foreign travelers. Particularly should this appeal to
Americans of Syrian descent
who are prone to belittle the
country of origin of their parents simply because they know
little or nothing about it. To
see it, therefore, as foreigners
see it, with an eye to its singular natural beauty, as well as
its unparalleled historical associations, cannot fail of being a
potent educational factor and an
incentive to a much needed
sense of racial pride.
It is an established fact that
a large number of the SyrianAmerican generation suffer a
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
sort of complex that is causing first reports on the reaction to
them to drift away from any the newly enunciated British
association of origin. Many policy, neither the Jews nor the
have been known to deny their Arabs are satisfied. From a
descent because of lack of judicial viewpoint this might be
knowledge of anything about considered a sign of fairness and
it. They had no ready sources justice to both parties concernto get any information and this ed. But judging by the temper
bred in them apathy and mis- of the Zionists, it Would be diftrust. Illustrations of this con- ficult to foresee an end to the
dition were cited on several oc- dilemma. They are mobilizing
casions in the Arabic press in all their forces to influence
America and admitted by the world opinion, while the Arabs,
persons involved themselves.
aroused to a greater sense of
This condition need not con- national consciousness and relytinue. Information of the sort ing on the sympathy and supneeded to inspire not only re- port of the whole Moslem
spect, but pride and admira- world, seem immovable in their
tion, is now fully available. It demand for complete recogniis coming not deliberately from tion of their sovereign rights.
native sources but also gratui- This clash of interests will give
tiously from-American sources, England an excuse for perand of the highest type. At manent occupation of the counleast such testimony as that giv- try.
en by Dr. Beach, if it does not
Unquestionably the Palestine
arouse an interest in travel,
problem
is fraught with elemshould at least spur SyrianAmericans to greater interest ents of great danger. And bein enlightening themselves on cause it is essentially a Syrian
facts bearing on their country problem we are resolved to deal
of origin—historical, cultural, with it in the fullest possible
educational, political, social and manner, adhering, at the same
otherwise. The more they know time, to our policy of strict
the prouder they will feel. It fairness and impartiality. Our
rests with them to cultivate the readers will bear in mind that
will to learn.
Palestine is geographically an
integral part of Syria, and as
such its destinies should hold
THE PALESTINE ISSUE for us a paramount interest.
RECENT events affecting the
When our own problem bePalestine | situation
hold comes a world issue we cannot
great portents. As evident from afford to ignore or dismiss it.
i
�NOVEMBER, 1930
45
New British Policy in Palestine
RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON JEW ISH IMMIGRATION — PROMISE
OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVE RNMENT MADE — JEWS INDIGNANT AND AR ABS DISSATISFIED
The long awaited report of Sir
John Hope Simpson on Palestine was
issued by the Colonial Office of the
British Government on October 20
together with a White Paper setting
forth the government's future policy
in the administration of its mandate
of that country. The immediate effect was to cause consternation
among the ranks of the Zionists and
jubilation among the Arabs, because
the Jews saw in it a repudiation of
the Balfour Declaration while the
Arabs read in it a plain admission
by the British of their prior right
to their own homeland. At the time
this is written, twenty days after
the issuance of the Colonial Office's
statement, Jewry all over the world
is reported up in arms against the
British and directing against it all
manner of accusations and threats,
while the Arabs, flushed by their
initial victories, are reported not
altogether satisfied with the British
admissions and concessions and insisting on the full recognition of
their sovereign rights.
Immediately upon the publication
of the British statement Dr. Chaim
Weizmann, president of the Jewish
Agency for Palestine and of the
World Zionist Organization, sent a
strongly worded letter to Lord Passfield, Secretary for the Colonies, denouncing the British policy as unfair
to the Jews of the world to whom
Great Britain gave to understand
that it would faithfully aid them in
reestablishing a national homeland
in Palestine. Later he issued a pub-
lic statement giving the reasons for
his action in detail and asserting
that on several instances in the past
Great Britain acknowledged the right
of the Jews to reconstruct a national
home in Palestine and pledged its
aid to them in the furtherance of
their program. The White Paper of
1922 was cited as having made such
an explicit pledge to the whole Jewish people who were to take their
place in Palestine "by right and not
by sufferance." He takes issue with
the government statement on the
question of unemployment in Palestine and denies that it is caused
by Jewish immigration. Jewish immigration was to be restricted, he
pointed out, not because it would
cause unemployment but because
unemployment
already
existed
among the Arabs. "This distinction
is of great importance because the
possibility of giving Jewish immigrants employment depends in large
measure upon the import of capital
into Palestine from the Jewries of
the world," he declared. "The capital
is sent to Palestine to promote the
growth of the Jewish national home
—it is sent to create employment for
Jewish immigrants. If it cannot
serve that purpose, Jewish capital
will not go to Palestine."
Following the action of Dr. Weizmann, Lord Malchett, chairman of
the council and political committee
of the Jewish Agency for Palestine,
also resigned both chairmanships as
a protest against the new Palestine
policy of the British Government.
�46
In his letter of resignation he showed plainly the temper of the Jews
over tfca government's action, characterizing it as "an act of almost
unparal eled ingratitude and treachery committed by a government
toward a credulous and harassed
peoph who believed they had found
a haven under the broad aegis of
the British flag and the guaranteed
word of British statesmen."
The effect of the British statement on American Jewry was even
more pronounced. They held mass
meetings of protest and proposed to
appeal to the American Government
and to Congress for action against
Britain on the grounds that the
United States was definitely committed to favor the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Felix M.
Warburg announced on October 31
his resignation as chairman of the
administrative committee of the
Jewish Agency for Palestine charging that Lord Passfield had misled
him and that the statement of Britain's policy was "a cruel betrayal
of trusteeship" in Palestine. Leading
Jews of America, including chief
Justice Brandeis, also registered
strong protests.
CAUSE OF JEWISH COMPLAINTS
The principal cause of Jewish
grievance against the newly enunciated British policy in Palestine is
the imputation of the White Paper
that the Jews have taken too much
for granted and acted on the assumption that they were the government and not the British mandatory
authority. England, therefore, proceeds to formulate a policy that in
its opinion will represent its obligations impartially towards both the
Jews and the Arabs. Accordingly it
lays down two fundamental principles for its future government of
the country, the first being the re-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
striction of Jewish immigration and
the second the establishment of a
tirm of representative government
that in its opinion will be expressive
of the will of the people and suitable
to present conditions of the country. The government has not gone
far enough to satisfy Arab demands
m full, but it has certainly conceded
to the Arabs sufficient privileges to
render the Jews fearful of the collapse of their dream of establishing
a homeland in the country of their
ancestors.
The decision of the goverment to
restrict Jewish immigration is based
on its study of land available for
settlement. On this point the statement discusses the relative positions
of the Jews and Arabs as follows:
"The condition of the Arab peasant leaves much to be desired and
a policy of land development is needed if the improvement of his condition of life is to be effected. The
sole agencies which have pursued
a consistent policy have been the
Jewish colonization societies, private and public. The Jewish settlers
have had every advantage that capital, science and organization could
give them. To these and the remarkable energy of the settlers themselves their remarkable progress is
due. On the other hand, the Arab
population, while lacking the advantages enjoyed by the Jewish settlers,
has by an excess of births over
deaths increased rapidly, while the
land available for its sustenance has
decreased by about 250,000 acres.
This area has passed into Jewish
hands."
Concerning the present and future
distribution of land the government
says:
"It can now be definitely stated
that at the present time and with
the present methods of Arab cultivation there remains no margin of
�NOVEMBER, 1930
land available for agricultural settlement by new immigrants with the
exception of such undeveloped land
r.s the various Jewish organizations
hold in reserve. The provision of a
margin availabh for further settlement depends upon the progress
made in increasing the productivity
of the land already occupied."
With reference to further Jewish
immigration, which is inseparable
from the land question, the British
government again cites its Palestine
mandate, which "directs that the
lights and position of other sections
of the population shall not be prejudiced by Jewish immigration."
"Clearly, if the immigration of
Jews results in the prevention of
Arabs obtaining work necessary for
their maintenance, or if Jewish unemployment
unfavorably
affects
the general labor position it is the
duty of the mandatory power to
reduce or if necessary to suspend
such immigration until the unemployed portion obtains work," continues Lord Passfield. "Under the
present circumstances his Majesty's
Government considers their suspension of immigration under the labor
schedule of last May fully justified."
NEW FORM OF GOVERNMENT
On the subject of the second important point, that of constitutional
development, the British government reviews the* efforts made in the
past to give the inhabitants of Palestine some measure of self-government and criticises the Arabs for
failure to cooperate in these schemes
and for demanding a form of constitution incompatible with Britain's
mandatory obligations. Despite such
opposition and past failures, the
British government declares itself of
the opinion that the time has come
to set ua a new form of Palestine
government and has determined to
47
do so. Moreover, it gives warning
that "all possible steps will be taken
to circumvent any attempt Which
may be made to prevent the establishment and operation of such a
government." The new government
machinery, as described by Lord
Passfield will consist of a Legislative Council comprising the High
Commissioner and twenty-two members, of whom ten will be official and
twelve unofficial. The unofficial members are to be chosen by primary
and secondary elections. If through
the failure of any part of the community to participata in the elections not enough unofficial members
are chosen by ballot, they will be
ajjpointed by the High Commissioner.
Furthermore, the commissioner will
retain the power to insure that the
mandatory power will carry out its
obligations to the League of Nations
including urgent legislative acts,
and also the power to maintain order. The legislative council will, of
course, include both Jews and Moslems. For the purpose of maintaining order and preventing in the future such disturbances as happened,
last year Britain will maintain in
Palestine and Transjordania two
batallions of infantry, two squadrons
of aircraft and four sections of armored cars. Measures will also be
taken to strengthen the police force.
The British Government concludes
the statement of its future policy
in Palestine with an appeal to both
Jews and Arabs to cooperate with
each other and Britain. "It is only
the closest cooperation between the
government and the leaders of the
Arab and Jewish communities that
can prevent Palestine from drifting
into a situation that would imperil
on the one hand the devoted work
of those who have sought to build
up a Jewish national home, and on
the other the interests of a majori-
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ty of the population who at present
possess few resources of their own
with which to sustain the struggle
for existence.
"To the Arabs, his Majesty's Government would appeal for recognition of the facts of the situation and
for sustained effort for cooperation
m obtaining that prosperity for the
country as a whole by which all will
benefit.
"From the Jewish leaders his
Majesty's Government ask recognition of the necessity of making some
concessions on their side in regard
to the independent and separative
ideals which have been developed in
some quarters in connection with the
Jewish national home, and for accepting as an active factor in their
policy that the development of the
country shall be carried out in such
a way that both Arabs and Jews receive adequate consideration."
ARAB REACTION
Although the effect of the publication of the British White Paper
was one of consternation and dismay 'among the Jews of Palestine,
it did not cause much jubilation
among the Arabs. The latter,, it is
true, felt some elation at the limitation set on Zionist dreams of expansion, but the concessions made by
Britain were not sufficient to meet
all their national demands. In proof
of their partial gratification, however, they have decided not to hold
this year their regular strike of protest on the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.
The Arab viewpoint was made
clear in a statement given out by
the Arab Executive and contained in
a special dispatch to the New York
Times. It reads as follows:
"Despite publication of the White
f'aper recognizing the rights of the
Arab people in Palestine, the Arab
Executive must continue to protest
with all its force against the Balfour Declaratic. , which is still part
of the program un which the London
Government bases its policy in Palestine and which is a stumblingblock on the road of Arab national
aspirations.
"The Arab Executive asks the
government to do away with this
policy and also demands definite abolition of the Balfour Declaration because only with that abolition will
the Holy Land have real peace."
It is learned from the same source
that the Arabs are divided into two
camps, the extreme nationalists who
would be satisfied only with the
complete abolition of the British
mandate and the moderates who appear anxious to have the mandate
continued. The latter party comprises
many Moslems as well as all the
Christians who believe British evacuation under present conditions
holds an element of great danger.
IMMIGRATION PERMITS
A few days after the issuance of
the White Paper, the British authorities approved permits for 1,500
new Jewish immigrants to Palestine.
This neither satisfied the Jews nor
alarmed the Arabs, inasmuch as the
newcomers would not affect the Arab
labor market but would be engaged
in existing Jewish enterprises. The
Arabs' sense of caution, however,
prompted their Executive to draft
a strong statement which the High
Commissioner cabled to the Colonial
Office in London. The government is
urged to prevent dangerous unrest
among the Arabs by publishing a
statement allaying their anxiety and
silencing Jewish protests.
'
�NOVEMBER, 1930
49
Political Developments in Syria
FRANCE TO ENTER INTO TREATY RELATIONS WITH LEBANON
— SYRIANS AWAIT RETURN OF HIGH COMMISSIONER
m
During the long absence of High than the English in the terms the
Commissioner Ponsot in France the latter granted to Iraq.
The fact that King Faisal had
Syrians had to adhere perforce to
spent
considerable time in Paris and
a policy of watchful waiting. Under
was in frequent conference with the
the circumstances, nothing could be
highest French authorities lends
done until the High Commissioner
weight to the belief that he was
issued a new declaration of policy
let into the secret of the new French
embodying the results of his conpropositions for Syria.
ferences in Paris. And M. Ponsot is
What may be a hint as to the
known to be deliberate to the extent
of aggravation in the opinion of some probable solution of the Syrian probSyrians. Still it is generally agreed lem is the reported new plan that
that to wait a reasonable time and France is said to 'have prepared to
reach satisfactory results is pre- apply to Lebanon. The papers of
ferrable to hasty action that will lead Beirut have referred lately to unto further complications. The Syr- usual activity in official circles and
ians at present seem to be hopeful reported an exchange of secret visits between the President of the Reof satisfactory results.
public and the Acting High CommisWhat is considered a major de- sioner. The cause of this unprecedvelopment in the Syrian political ented activity was explained by Lisituation is the statement given out san Ul-Hal as presaging radical
by King Faisal of Iraq while en changes in the relations of France
route to Baghdad from Europe and Lebanon. The paper claims to
through Transjordania. The state- have received authentic information
ment is considered all the more im- from its Paris carrespondent on the
portant in view of his Majesty's in- nature of the new changes involved,
terest in Syrian affairs and the fact which, summarized, are as follows:
that he was at one time king of
Substitution of the mandate by a
Syria and dethroned by the French.
treaty agreement between the two
The purport of his statement is
republics, subject to ratification Tt>y
unqualified advice to the Syrians to
the respective legislative bodies of
refrain from passive resistence to the two countries.
the French and to cooperate with
France will agree to protect Lebthem wholeheartedly in carrying out
anon against military aggression
the proposed program which High
and demands in return that Lebanon
Commissioner Ponsot will outline to
place at its disposal in case of need
them upon his return, The French,
alT its transportation and port facilihe is reported to have said, propose
ties. France also agrees to the creato be most liberal in their future
tion of a Lebanese national army,
policy in dealing with the Syrians,
under command of French officers,
and shall not be found less generous
but subject to service only within
�50
Lebanese borders and for purposes
of national defense.
Lebanon will enjoy the widest possible form of self-government, employing only French technical advisers where natives are not available.
French advisers will act only in an
advisory capacity and will be paid
by the Lebanese government.
France also undertakes to facilitate the entry of Lebanon jn the
League of Nations at the earliest
[ossible opportunity, and to accelerate the economic rehabilitation of
the country by the employment of
French capital.
The Lebanese paper, however, is
silent on the conditions governing
the employment of French capital
and guardedly hints that this might
rrove the stumbling block in the successful conduct of the negotiations.
The return of M. Ponsot was expected early in November. Information reaching the Syrian press from
Paris was to the effect that he would
soend a few days in Egypt to confer
with Syrian leaders in that country
on his proposed plan for the solution
of the Syrian problem. Then with all
the preliminaries arranged he would
order general elections for the Representative Assembly which in turn
would elsct a president or chose a
king or decide on any other form of
government without restriction.
There were rumors at one time
that the mandatory power had agreed
to permit the unity of the States of
Syria, the Alaouites and Jebel Druze,
but later it transpired that the negotiations then on foot were for a
closer economic cooperation between
these states under a supreme economic council.. Otherwise, it is argued, a separate constitution for
each would not have been promulgated.
Reports from Damascus announce
active preparations by the authori-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ties for the coming elections, but so
far the attitude of the Nationalists
remains vague, no definite policy
having yet been reached by them on
the subject of the elections.
LEBANESE DECORATIONS
WIDELY PROTESTED
Ever since the announcement of
the Lebanese government's decision
to award decorations of merit to a
number of Lebanese and some
French consular officials abroad, a
storm of indignation has been raised
by the press of both the United
States and the home country. The
principal objection seems to be not
as
much
against
the award
as against the indiscriminate manner in which the decorations have
been conferred. Moreover, the liberality of the government in the matter was cause for bitter criticism
and ridicule. To issue decorations to
a list of over five hundred and fifty,
with promise of increase, was unprecedented. The government is accused of having shown extreme bad
taste in including in the list persons -of little consequence and who
c'aim no outstanding service in the
cause of their country, but to whom
the award was made simply as a
favor to some of their influential
relatives. This at once destroyed
whatever value may have attached
to the decoration and prompted many
recipients to reject it as a gesture
of protest.
Widespread criticism is said to
have moved the government to a reccrs:deration of its action with the
possibility of rescinding the decorations altogether.
'
'
�NOVEMBER, 1930
51
About Syria and Syrians
MEXICAN TRIBE
SPEAKS ARABIC
Lived in Inaccessible Part of Mexico
for Over Four Centuries.
The Associated Press made public
on October 20 the following dispatch
irom its correspondent at Tuxtla
Gutierrez, Chalpas, Mexico:
"Wandering Turkish merchants
returning here from the Simojovel
district, 'have reported discovery of
a strange tribe speaking a language
similar to Arabic which inhabits an
almost inaccessible mountain retreat
there. The tribe which calls itself
Absolutan", preserves Oriental customs, does not speak Spanish or any
Indian dialect and shows no trace of
the Malayan civilization which is so
common in other parts of Chiapas.
"The merchants said members of
the tribe claimed to have inhabited
the region for almost four centuries, remaining entirely apart from
the outside world."
Mexican Paper's Report.
A Syrian paper of Mexico reports
the same discovery on the authority
of the Excelsior, the principal paper
of Mexico City, and gives the latter's version of the important event
as follows:
"While a Syrian peddler was traveling in little frequented places in
the districts of Chiapas and Tapasla,
his steps were fortunately guided to
a mountain ridge supposedly uninhabited and of extremely rugged formation. Penetrating the virgin forests, the peddler-came across a tribe
of natives whose hospitality he
sought for the night. He addressed
them in Spanish, with which he is
well conversant,, but they answered
in Arabic to the effect that they could
not understand his language. Naturally the Syrian peddler was struck
with surprise at the unexpected development as it was beyond his wildest fancy that he should address
members of a Mexican tribe in the
native language of the country and
they should profess ignorance of it
and answer him instead in the language of his own ancestors.
"The peddler asked them why they
had chosen to live in such an isolated
section away from civilization, and
they answered him in intelligible
Arabic that they had been living
there in self-sufficiency for hundreds
of years and that the only language
they know is the Arabic.
"When the exploring peddler returned to the city and reported his
discovery to the authorities they immediately took great interest in the
matter and prepared to equip a scientific expedition to visit the home
of this lost tribe and ascertain its
origin and ancestry. Also a special
investigator was sent by Excelsior to
accompany the expedition and report on its findings.
"In speaking of the tribe the Syrian peddler said that its language
was pure Arabic of the Egyptian
dialect, and that its customs and
dress were in strict conformity with
Arab standards."
[Editor's Note—The reference by
the A. P. dispatch to the "wandering merchants" being Turks is erroneous. Aside from there being no
Turks in Mexico the Turkg do not
speak Arabic. The reference may
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLD
have been prompted by the fact that
in certain sections of Mexico Syrians
and Lebanese are commonly known
as Turcos.]
Aztec Related to Chinese and
Egyptian.
Coincident with this report comes
the announcement by G. Ryden, archaeologist, of Los Angeles, Calif.,
that he is forced to deduce the existence of a connection between the
Aztec civilization of Mexico and that
of the Chinese and Egyptian as a
result of the finding of ancient funeral urns in a buried city in the
State of Jalisco, Mexico.
This news was also given publicity by the Associated Press in a
dispatch from Los Angeles on October 2.
The urns discovered are believed
by Mr. Ryden to date back to at
least 2 500 B. C, according to the
report. The twenty-six that are in
the possession of the archaeologist
stand from two to four feet in height
and were taken from excavations
made in tombs beneath an old city
at the Hacadera Los Copales.
"Without question," Ryden said,
"there was a connection between the
Chinese and Aztec civilizations and
possibly with the Egyptian. Many of
the faces on the urns are pure
Chinese in character and others
strongly resemble ancient Egyptian
sculpture and pottery. The tombs
were so old that an ancient and
ruined city had been built above
them."
Phoenician Traces in South America.
Less than a year ago, in December,
1929, an Associated Press dispatch
from Brazil had reported the discovery of important Phoenician inscriptions in the Amazon Valley
which would justify the opinion that
the Phoenicians were the first to
have discovered America. This important news was reported in The
'Syrian World at the time, but in
view of the more recent discoveries
referred to above, and in the interest of presenting a complete record,
the earlier dispatch on the Brazilian
finds would bear republication. It
follows:
"Discovery of inscriptions carved
on Amazon Valley rocks has revived
a belief that 4,000 years or more ago
Phoenicians discovered America, navigated the Amazon and built a city
there.
"The finds were made by Dr. Barbosa while on a trip a few months
ago with General Rondon, Brazil's
most famous explorer. The carvings
were in hieroglyphs.
"Information about them is withheld while decoding goes on, a job
expected to take about a year. They
were found in rock formations along
the Cumina River in the State of
Para and on bits of pottery.
"If the decoding comes up to the
expectations of archaeologists, it is
said excavations will be attempted
on the shores of the Cumina in
search for the buried site of a city.
"The name of this city, according
to tradition, was Atlantida. Curiously, this is the same as the name of
the continent that some geological
and archaeological writers say once
existed in the Atlantic Ocean and
that may have formed either a land
bridge or link for communication between the old and the new hemispheres.
"Other localities in the vast Amazon basin have furnished Phoenician
traces. At the confluence of the Solimao and Negro rivers, on a small
is'and called Pedro, what appears to
be a Phoenician ship-is carved on a
large rock."
�NOVEMBER, 1930
RIHANI TO SPEAK
AT TOWN HALL
With the opening of the Fall lecture season our celebrated author
and lecturer, Ameen Rihani, finds
himself called upon to fill a heavy
speaking program. On November 22
he is scheduled to speak at Town
Hall under the auspices of the
League for Political Education. This
organization is known to sponsor
lectures and discussions by outstanding visitors to America.
Mr. Rihani will deliver two additional addresses during November,
one at the National Arts Club on
the twelfth and the other at the
Poetry Society on the 20th.
LADIES' AID SOCIETY
GIVES DINNER-DANCE
The Ladies' Aid Society of New
York opened the social season by a
dinner-dance given in the grand
ball-room of the Elks Club in Brooklyn. Mrs. Dominick J. Faour, the
president, in her brief address of
welcome, announced that the society
had collected and distributed since
its organization a sum of $75,000.
Mr. S. Dowaliby acted as master of
ceremonies.
LEBANESE GOVERNMENT
TO ASSIST SUFFERERS
When news reached Lebanon of
the Santo Domingo disaster, in
which several Lebanese lost their
lives and others suffered almost a
total loss of their belongings, the
President of the republic called a
special meeting of the cabinet to
discuss ways and means of extending aid to the sufferers. An appropriation of 50,000f was made for
immediate relief and for repatriat-
53
ing those who elect to return to the
homeland. The mandatory authorities will be consulted as to the best
method for dispatching and distributing the relief appropriations.
SYRIAN COMPOSER
ARRIVES IN NEW YORK
Metri El-Murr, a well-known Syrian composer, arrived in New York
for a limited visit. For the last
thirty-five years Mr. El-Murr has
been in the lead in the movement
for modernizing Arab music. He is
particularly noted for his knowledge
of the Byzantine technique.
RADIO TALK ON
EDUCATION IN SYRIA
Mr. Ibrahim Dada, a Columbia
student hailing from Damascus and
specializing in education, was given
the opportunity by the Y. M. C. A.
of making a radio talk on the subject of education in Syria. Undoubtedly actuated by the best intentions, his talk was a very effective expose of the "abject ignorance" of 80 per cent, of the population of Syria. The talk might
have been intended as an appeal, but
it was certainly cast in the wrong
phraseology. Such discussions might
prove of value at the proper place
and time, as when addressing an
audience interested in the study of
education. But to go on the air with
a gruesome description of black
ignorance among one's own people is
far from being desirable. It would
be better we wash our dirty linen
in private, and not expose ourselves
to further misunderstanding by
stressing or magnifying an unfortunate condition.
�———
54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
HITTI TO PUBLISH
IMPORTANT BOOKS
WARM PRAISE OF
SYRIAN SINGER
Upon publication of the Arabic
edition of Usamah's Memoirs, reviewed elsewhere in this issue of
The Syrian World, the American
press of New York hailed the occasion as marking a new era in American
publishing
enterprise
in
that the book represented the first
work in Arabic published by an
American University press.
In an interview with the correspondent of the New York Sun, Dr.
Hitti is reported to have outlined
his plans for the publication of the
second volume in the series of
Princeton Oriental texts, entitled
Baha-Al Din's "Al-Juz' Awwal" the
sacred book of the Druzes of Syria.
It will be recalled that two years
ago Columbia University Press published a book on this subject by Dr.
Hitti, in which he made use of the
manuscript which will form the basis
of the new volume. This manuscript,
with several others dealing with the
religion of this Mohammedan sect,
is in the Garret collection on deposit in the Princeton University
Library. The account of the interview further states "that the publication of this manuscript will
bring to light for the first time the
secret scriptures of an interesting
Islamic sect which has been greatly
influenced by both Judaism and
Christianity."
Fedora Corban, styled the Syrian
nightingale, had a successful Western tour last summer and received
praise from music critics that would
bear out Mr. Rihani's appraisal of
her gifts as expressed in his article
published in this issue of The Syrian World.
We copy the following from the
Kansas City Times of July 3.
"Radio listeners had the unusual
experience yesterday afternoon of
hearing a fine coloratura soprano,
great in volume and with dramatic
timbre, broadcast over WDAF. Fedora Kurban was the singer and in
her voice was the dreamy and sensuous charm of the Orient from
which she came.
"With a voice that encompasses
three octaves, is warm and fluent
throughout its range, she sang the
"Bell-Song" from "Lakme" and followed it with the brilliant aria that
forms the climax to Bellini's opera,
"La Sonnambula," in which the
sleep-walker awakens to love and
happiness.
"In her singing of Delibe's music,
the singer disclosed rare good taste
and a skill that is likely to be the
despair of most Occidental singers.
The wealth of vocal ornamentation
in the "Bell-Song" was delivered
with effortless ease. Trills, staccato
passages, sustained high Ds, Es, and
finally a triumphant F floated out to
a multitude of listeners. In Bellini's
music she disclosed a lovely pianissimo, swelling to a full ringing tone.
"She sang in English a song of
the desert, "Allah, Hear Me Calling" by Maloof, in which the tropical
warmth of her voice carried with it
genuine emotion. "The Garden of
My Heart" was another example of
temperament and fervor."
—M. K. P.
ALICE POULLEAU'S BOOK
BANNED FROM SYRIA
Publication of Mile. Alice Poulleau's new book "In Damascus Under Bombardment", caused the
French authorities in Syria to take
drastic action against it. An official
decree by the High Commissioner
bans entry of the book into Syria
and forbids all translation or publication of its contents.
BBHWBH
�NOVEMBER, 1930
SYRIA REFUGEES'
DUMPING GROUND
The press of Syria reports a
strange migration movement to that
country which has been going on
steadily for several months in a
manner calculated to attract as little
public attention as possible. The
movement finally assumed such proportions as to arouse public suspicion, and resulting inquiries revealed that the new immigrants
were neither Armenians nor Greeks,
although most of them had embarked at Greek ports. They finally proved to be Chaldeans who before the
war inhabited Kurdestan but have
since scattered throughout Caucasia
and Russia while some found their
way to Persia and Greece.
The present immigration movement into Syria is said by the Syrian
press to be the result or an agreement between the mandatory authorities and the representative of the
Chaldean Patriarch in Beirut. The
authorities
promised
homestead
sites for these refugees on condition they would settle and engage in
agricultural occupations, otherwise
all assistance would be withheld
from them. Already over a thousand
families have settled in the district
of Deir Ezzour under the terms of
the agreement. Homes as well as
many other facilities have been provided for them.
Coincident with these revelations
comes the report that three Armenian representatives arrived in
Beirut the latter part of October to
make arrangements for settling in
Syria and Lebanon fifteen thousand
additional Armenian refugees now in
Greece.
With economic conditions in the
country at their Ipwest ebb, the
press is by no means complimentary
of the action of the mandatory power in facilitating the influx of all
55
these aliens. A leading paper of Beirut publishes the account of this
new migration movement under the
caption: "Syria 'has now become the
home of the homeless."
SYRIAN-AMERICAN CLUB
HOLDS ANNUAL CELEBRATION
The Syrian-American Club of Danbury, Conn., held its annual celebration in its clubrooms Sunday afternoon and evening, October 5. The
attendance was well over five hundred drawn from many parts of the
New England States and from New
York City. There was music and
dancing as well as speechmaking.
Mr. Michael Trabulsi presided.
The Syrian-American societies of
New England, particularly of Connecticut, have for many years been
holding these annual celebrations
which take at times the form of national gatherings, attended by deputations from a score, or more societies, who come with gifts and expressions of good will. The effect has
been a strengthening of racial ties
along with a keener appreciation of
citizenship obligations.
SPANIARDS SHOW TOLERANCE
TO MOSLEM STUDENTS
Spain is well on the way of losing
its stigma of having been the land of
the Inquisition. Not only are the
Spaniards showing tolerance towards Christians of other denominations, but they are even displaying
unusual courtesy towards
nonOhristians. The following Associated
Press dispatch from Cordova, Spain,
dated November 7 plainly interprets
the signs of the times. It reads:
"The high chant of a Moslem
religious service rose in the ancient
Cathedral of Cordova today for the
�56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
first time in 500 years, interrupting
But the young sheikh could not
for a moment a Catholic mass being as easily dismiss from his heart the
celebrated by the local clergy.
love of the beautiful urban maiden.
"A group of Moorish students, So, carried on the wings of desire,
touring the old province of Andalu- he chose two companions of proven
sia, which was wrested from their valor and set out in the direction
forebears five centuries ago, halted of the village to carry out a bold
in a corridor of the cathedral where plan. They forced the house of tJhe
verses of the Koran still decorate girl in the most approved romantic
the walls.
style and proceeded to carry her
"Oblivious of their whereabouts, away from her bed. Awakened by the
they burst into the chant as the commotion, her father raised the
Catholic service was in progress in alarm among the inhabitants who
another part of the church. The hastily armed themselves and sallied
Catholic clergy, realizing that the forth in pursuit of the kidnappers.
students were touring under gov- They overtook them on the outernment auspices, suspended their skirts of the village and engaged
service until the chant ended."
them .in..battle. The sheikh-lover
placed the girl in charge of one of
his companions and with the other
held the pursuers in check. The vilARAB SHEIKH ENACTS
lagers, owing to their superior numREAL LOVE DRAMA bers, were gradually closing in upon
the Arabs. It was now a hundred,
What a pity that the camera man then fifty, then twenty-five yards.
was absent!
The situation was becoming desperFor there was enacted in northern
ate
and the Arab appointed to guard
Syria the latter part of October a
real love tragedy of which the hero the girl left her to come to the aid
was a genuine Arab sheikh and the of his companions. She, profiting of
villain the father of his beautiful the opportunity, broke away to join
beloved!
her father, but fell exhausted in noThe story as reported by the Syr- man's land. A villager made a desian press mentions the names of the
perate dash to rescue her but was
persons and places involved in the
felled
by a well-aimed bullet. Andrama and leaves no room for doubt
as to its authenticity.
other member of the posse made a
Briefly, it relates that Emir No- similar attempt and met the same
waq El-Ahmad, a ranking sheikh of fate. Then the father made a last
the Mawali tribe, young and hand- desperate effort to reach her and the
some and romantic, became enamorembattled Romeo plunged a dagger
ed of Sabha, a bewitchingly beautiful maid of the village of Nahtara, in his side. Then lifting his prize in
district of Edlib, in northern Syria. his powerful arms, he swung her beHe sought her hand in the conven- hind him on his fleet Arabian horse
tional manner but was dismissed by and rode away with her under the
her father with the remark that he
mantle of the night.
would never consider giving his
daughter in marriage to a wanderWhat romancer could invent a
ing bedouin.
more daring and blood curdling plot!
�——-
NOVEMBER, 1930
57
PAN-ARABIAN PICTURE
CORPORATION, LTD.
Authorized Capital Stock
40,000 SHARES COMMON
$5 PAR VALUE
Main Office:
512 Union Bank Building
Los Angeles, California.
This is a purely Arabian organization, the first and only corporation of its kind in the world dealing in the moving and talking picture
industry in Arabic. It comprises the three elements necessarily associated with the film industry namely, production, distribution and
exhibition.
This is the age of amusement and our people, whose enterprises
and adventures are proverbial, must have their due share in this
flourishing industry. It is the intention of this company not only to
furnish the entertainment but to insure also for our people the organizing credit and profit.
We will make talking pictures of an Oriental character which will
acquaint our people in the American continent and in the East with
our historical deeds and cultural attainments. This we will perform
directly and through various theatrical groups.
We will also produce pictures of various phases of Syrian life in
the different cities and countries and present them to our countrymen
in other parts of the world and at home together with pictures of
famous men and great events in both the East and foreign lands and
wherever Arabic-speaking peoples may be, so that they may be informed of each other's leaders and affairs.
We intend to train the talented ones of our race in music, singing,
acting, etc., in order to have our own professionals and thus provide
them with employment.
Will you help us to attain that goal? Be a stockholder and gain
the privilege and credit in making this corporation a success.
You will not be risking anything. Your money is amply protected
by the laws of the state of California which guarantee you that only
10 per cent, of what you pay for the stock will go toward the preliminary expenditure if the company does not raise the necessary capital for the work. Otherwise your investment will be very profitable.
The general sales agent, Edward Gillett, will travel throughout
the United States in the interest of the corporation. Application for
subscription to stock may also be made to the corporation's headquarters in Los Angeles or to any of the Syrian papers, or to the corporation's representative in New York State, Mr. A. G. Milkie 160
Greenwich St.,, New York City.
�58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
STATEMENT OP THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION
of The Syrian World, published monthly at New York, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1930.
STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, :who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he s the pub isher of The Syrian
World, and that the fo lowing is, to the best of his knowledge and belief,
a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a da ly paper, the
circulation), etc. of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in he
above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied in section
411, Posial Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of th's form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, manag'.ng
editor, and business managers are:
Name of—
Post office address—
Publisher, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
EJitor, Sal oum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Ed'tor, Salloum A. Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Business Managers, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenw ch Street.
2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockho ders owning or holding one per cent, or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company or other unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each individual
member, must be given.)
Salloum A. Mokarzel, 104 Greenwich Street.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or hoiding 1 per cent, or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other secur ties are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above giving the names of the owners, stockholders, security holders, if any, contain not only the list of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting is
g-ven; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowiedge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the
books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity
other than that of a bona fide owner; and th's affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest
direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds or other securities than as so
stated by him.
5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or d'stributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. MOKARZEL.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 6th day of October, 1930.
[Seal.]
Edna M. Huckner.
(My commission expires March 30, 1932.)
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1930_11reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 05, Issue 03
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1930 November
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 5 Issue 03 of The Syrian World published November 1930. The issue starts off with an article by Dr. F. I. Shatara discussing the New British Policy in Palestine. Shatara, a Palestinian Arab, followed the events closely and wrote an article describing the situation. It primarily focused around the religious wars of the area, and England's place in reconciling the situation as the colonial power in charge. Featured next is a special article from Ameen Rihani discussing the subject of the Syrian in American art. Following that is Salloum Mokarzel's account of Damascus from his travels, in which he takes the readers through the principal quarters and places of historic importance. Following a poem titled "Ships Sail Out" by Alice George there is a continuation of the "Ali Zaibaq" serial from the previous two issues. In addition to the usual book reviews of the last few issues there are two poems, one by Thomas Asa and the other by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin. The issue concludes with a further editorial discussion on the New British Policy in Palestine, more on the political developments in Syria, and lastly articles from the Arab press that specifically relate to Syria and Syrians.
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Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
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English
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
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New York Public Library
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
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Text
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1930s
Alice George
Ameen Rihani
F.I. Shatara
Law
New York
Palestine
Poetry-English
Salim Alkazin
Syria
Thomas Asa
Travel
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Text
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OCTOBER, 1930
VOL. V. No. 2.
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THE
SYRIAN WORLD
A
MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
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GREAT SYRIAN-AMERICANS OF OUR TIMES
REV. W. A. MANSUR
ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS
S. A. MOKARZEL
I
THE TRAGIC LOVE OF A CALIPH
(SHORT STORY)
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THE SYRIAN WORLD A CORPORATION
ALI ZAIBAQ (QUICKSILVER)
(A SERIAL)
S. A. MOKARZEL and T. S. DAYTON
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
THE COPY 50c
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�SYRIAN WORLD
Published monthly except July and August
by
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 Greenwich St., New York, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single Copies 50c,
Entered as second class matter June 25, 1926, at the post office at New York
N Y
- -. under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. V. No. 2.
OCTOBER, 1930
CONTENTS
PAGE
Great Syrian-Americans of our Times
W. A.
REV.
5
MANSUR
On the Road to Damascus
S A.
16
MOKARZEL
Damascus (Poem)
23
THOMAS ASA
The Syrian World a Corporation
94
Alt Zaibaq — Chapter II.
?7
Hunger (Poem)
31
MISCHA NAIMY
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III
CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
The Tragic Love of a Caliph (Short Story)
32
On Giving and Taking
G. K. GlBRAN
Ed-itorial Comment:—
The Syrian World, Inc.
39
Relative Obligations
40
The Mission of
THE SYRIAN WORLD
41
AMEEN RIHANI
Political Developments in Syria
49
Situation in Damascus Remains Unchanged
42
France, Italy and the Syrian Mandate
43
Moslems and Christians Quarrel in Palestine
44
About Syria and Syrians
47
�IN THIS ISSUE
fsJO judicial appraisal of pubciate his efforts in analyzing the
I
lie-spirited men among the distinctive characters of the
Syrians could fail to place the chosen men. It is evident that
Rev. W. A. Mansur among the he aims to inspire race pride and
foremost rank. The unstinted exhort to emulation. We are
patriotism, the tireless energy, glad to give publicity to his
the lofty ideals and unselfish findings both as recognition to
motives of this Syrian clergy- the men selected and as a tribman should endear him to all ute to the idealism of the writwho value noble public service. er, although the editor would
Although a pastor of an Amerhave much preferred not to be
ican congregation in Nebraska, included in the list, it being his
his heart is with his own people conviction that what he has done
and he strives to keep in con- is but little of what he would
stant touch with their various like to do, conditions favoring.
activities. His scholarly procThis article of the Rev. Manlivities and passion for research sur will be found most interprompt him not only to record, esting reading. It should not
but to weigh and properly eval- tail of achieving its purpose of
uate the spiritual qualities and arousing a fuller and keener
the moral and material accom- appreciation of our talents and
plishments of his countrymen. accomplishments.
Truly the Rev. Mansur has
been a discovery for the Syrians. Having been isolated ^HERE are any number of
from his people by reason of
legends and Syrian folk tales
his occupation and environment,
associated with Wadi'1-Karn.
we now see him a powerful
This mysterious valley was exmoral force that must eventuplored and described by the
ally be reckoned within the editor during his last trip
shaping of the Syrian destiny
through Syria. In this issue he
in America.
gives a description of its topoIn his article published in this graphy and records the reacissue, the Rev. Mansur gives an
tions of a traveler's passage
appraisal of six Syrian-Amer- through it. The present installcan leaders in different fields of
ment of the editor's travel arendeavor. Readers will appre- ticles also describes the ap-
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H
proach to the famous city of
Damascus in preparation for a
full and interesting account of
his visit which will appear in
a coming issue.
corded are not simply a concoction of the Oriental imagination.
RECENT political developments in Syria and Lebanon
JSJ^l Zaibaq, the superhuman are of unusual importance, and,
hero whose exploits rival in as usual, they are treated withrichness of mystery any record- out bias or prejudice. Especialed in the Arabian Nights, is ly is the situation in Palestine
dared to get the Magic Box aggravated by certain serious
from the Enchanted City. He differences that have risen beencounters traps and is con- tween the Moslem and Christfronted by an army. One of his ian Arabs. The cause of the
extremely perilous situations is nft and the resulting murders
when he discovers that a com- and disturbances are reported
pany of blacks had kidnapped in detail.
the king's daughter to whom
there was no equal in charm and ^E believe most of our readbeauty. How does he act under
ers will be interested in the
the circumstances? The reader announcement that THE SYRwould be well recompensed by IAN WORLD has been made a
perusing the present install- corporation. This statement is
ment of Quicksilver and shar- made on the strength of the fact
ing in its thrills.
that most of our readers have
been steady subscribers from
the inception of the publicaJN the September issue we pub- tion. As such they are in a posilished the first part of a short tion to realize and appreciate
story dealing with the love of our consistent efforts at mainthe caliph Yazid. The second taining it at the highest standpart is published in the present ard indicative of our culture and
issue and should prove most finest traditions. And because
enjoyable reading. We may of this appreciation on their
well repeat that the story is part we would invite them to
based on historical facts, and become active partners. The
the reader would do well to very attractive conditions of
keep in mind that the extraor- subscription to stock are given
dinary happenings therein re- in the announcement.
�.
TTTP
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. V. No. 2.
OCTOBER, 1930
Great Syrian-Americans of our
Times
By
REV.
W. A.
MANSUR
JHE Jives of great Syrian-Americans of our times are now
_ exemplifying Syrian-American awakening, foreshadowing Syrian raceprogress, and founding Syrian race immortality. A great
people is but the lengthened shadow of the character, achievement, and influence of its great men. It is great men who make
a people great, who make visible their race character, and who
constitute the vanguard of the people's progress
Greatness consists in heroic devotion to a life that sacrifices,
a work that endures, and a purpose that ennobles. Great men
make ideals visible, concrete life, stimulate achievement, radiate
vision, and ennoble living. Great men scorn superficial fame,
disdain selfish ambition, and despise sordid gain. Despite human
frailties there is in great men that which is permanent, overriding
changes of time, overcoming carping criticism, and ever renewtself through enthusiasm aroused in others.
In great Syrian-American souls lie the Syrian race's enlightenment, leadership, and progress. Already the people feel the urge
or their power, recognize resemblances in them to their strivings
and approve within their souls their race leadership. Great Syrian-Americans, because of nobility of character, sincerity of heart
and purity of motive through heroic devotion to some high purpose, are now enriching the Syrian race, glorifying its achievements, and enshrining its name in splendid immortality
"The search after the great," said Emerson, "is the dream of
youth, and most serious occupation of manhood." The writer is
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�6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
hereby calling attention to some great Syrian-Americans of our
times who are bringing the Syrian race to the forefront among
the races in America, who are enshrining the Syrian race in honor
through splendid achievement, and who are leading the Syrian
race in enlightenment, progress, and glory. For the love of our
glorious race, praise of our famous heritage, honor of our splendid
leadership, and vision of our springing yuth, I pay loving tribute
to the following great Syrian-Americans of our times.
/. The Defender of the Syrian-American Race: N. A. Mokarzel.
Emerson said, "Every true man is a- cause, a country, and an
. age; requires infinite spaces and numbers and time fully to accomplish his thought;—and posterity seem to follow his steps as a
procession." Such a true man. is N. A. Mokarzel, for he is a cause,
a country, and an age in himself. His vision enlarges our vision,
his character supports our heritage, his leadership inspires leadership, and his achievements enrich our race.
N. A. Mokarzel's name is known wherever Syrians dwell as
a defender of the Syrian race, upholder of Syrian welfare, and
enhghtener of the Syrian people. Sentinel-like he stands on the
watch for the defense of our race. Hercules-like he stands prepared to uphold the rights of our kind. Beacon-like he stands
ready to enlighten our people.
All creeds, all sections, all parties have found in him a staunch
defender, preserver, and upholder of their rights, liberties, and
happiness. During the period of race immigration he gave the
vision to guide his people. During the era of race struggle he
defended our race against race prejudice, race defamation, and
race disparagement. During the rise of Syrian nationalism he
led with wisdom, sympathy, and courage the thought life of Syrian-Americans.
In America, shepherd-like, he has been leading his people in
culture, philanthropy, and progress. In Syria, statesman-like, he
has been standing for the rights and liberties of his native land.
In mankind, humanitarian-like, he has sought the welfare of the
Syrian race.
He has been educator of Syrian-Americans, promoter of philanthropies, exposer of hypocrisies, and builder of Syrian character, leadership, and welfare. He has smitten sinister forces, unmasked sham leadership, and uncovered selfish movements. He
has been the friend alike of the poor and the rich, the weak, the
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�OCTOBER, 1930
N. A. Mokarzel
strong, the ignorant and the wise, and always for truth iustice
liberty and welfare of Syrian-Americans
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acclaim'N AJMgtCnt P? ^^ exPerience> and posterity will
acclaim N. A. Mokarzel the Grand Old Man of the Syrian-Amer
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mer
ican pioneer generation.
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' ^any^0^ °f ** ^"'^"can W- Antonius Bishal"All the past we leave behind,
We debouch upon a newer mightier world, varied world,
�s
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Antonius Bishallany
Fresh and strong the world we seize, world of labor and the
march,
Pioneers! O Pioneers!"
—Walt Whitman.
In Antonius Bishallany we have a first-fruit of the Syrian
renaissance, a first-token of Syrian progress, and a first-wave of
Syrian-American immigration. The age-long barriers to Syrian
progress began to crumble j autocratic domination, religious oppression, and economic exploitation. Yet within Syrian hearts were
aspirations for religious freedom, political liberty, and economic
prosperity. The first Syrian immigrant to America is a symbol
of the aggressive freedom, race vitality, and aspiration toward
progress of the Syrian race.
In this Syrian-American pioneer we have illustrated the primacy of the spiritual over the material interpretation of life. He
exemplified the basic philosophy of Syrian thought: the religious
character of life. Whether political, economic, moral, social, or
otherwise, to the Syrian mind, the spiritual interpretation of life
is fundamental to human welfare.
�OCTOBER, 1930
9
In this Syrian-American pioneer we have the symbol of the
most benevolent race expansion in history. Through other race
immigrations there may be military power, colonial expansion,
material exploitation, or the spread of some particular religion,
culture or civilization; in Syrian immigration we have the spread
of mutual welfare, race good-will, law-abiding citizenship, and
friendly commerce toward mutual material welfare, happiness,
and progress.
While Greece gave her culture, Rome her law, Syria is eternally giving the world the Syrian Gospel of the Fatherhood of
God, the brotherhood of man, and the kingdom of universal
peace. In the Syrian pioneer among the races, nations, and
tongues of earth Providence is founding a Syrian World Empire
based on the primacy of the spiritual life, the ethical evaluation
of man, and the universal diffusion of human welfare.
3. The Adventurer of the Syrian-American Spirit: Ameen Rihani.
George Adam Smith says in Syria and the Holy Land, "Hebrew and Greek writers acclaim the wealth of Phoenician industries and the size and the range of Phoenician ships. Long before
the Christian era these galleys had passed the Straits of Gibraltar
as far at least as the Canaries and Sicilies 5 and had sailed down
the Red Sea and along the east coast of Africa."
In Ameen Rihani the Phoenician adventuring spirit returns
to life, carrying civilizing influences to countries, nations, and
races of earth, and acting as sympathetic interpreter of various
cultures, peoples, and civilizations of mankind.
In him we have illustrated a trinity of Syrian traits: sympathetic understanding, mutual welfare, and cultural preservation.
His travels were for the benefit of civilization. He sought to
interpret sympathetically a people's history, talents, and culture.
He sought to preserve the treasures of a people's culture for the
enrichment of mankind. The benevolent purpose of his travels
will immortalize him in the histories of Arabia, Syria, and Syrian-Americans.
The Syrian-American race, through Ameen Rihani, contributes its share toward the civilization of mankind. His travels
into Arabia are among the most significant of the century. For
Arabia is the cradle of the Semitic race, and the birthplace of its
far-reaching influences on human progress. Thus the sympathetic understanding of its people, the just appreciation of its achieve-
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Ameen Rihani
ments, and the friendly assistance of its people in their present
need, will mean much toward the future peace,
prospTritv and
F
happiness of mankind.
' Prospenty, and
In this Syrian-American's understanding, appreciation and
promotion of Arabia's welfare is a symbol of heTrv ce the Syr
The earth! "^
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OCTOBER, 1930
11
G. K. Gibran
i. The Singer of the Syrian-American Soul: G. K. Gibran.
T. B. Macaulay says in his "Essay on Milton", "He who, in
an enlightened and literary society, aspires to be a great poet
must first become a little child." G. K. Gibran has the heart of
the child of the kingdom of God, full of faith in God, abounding in love for mankind, and rejoicing in song over goodness
beauty and truth.
In Gibran there is a radiancy of the Syrian soul, there is an
�I
12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
effulgence of the human spirit, there is an uplifting power of
enlightenment. He is a seer of the unseen, a herald of the truth,
and an interpreter of the vision.
G. K. Gibran is the singer of the Syrian-American soul
in the true poet there is the delicately tuned ear to hear the
primal song Deity has placed in the earth. There is the finely
tuned mind to catch the whisperings of the Creator in all creation I here is the harmoniously tuned eye to behold the beauty
the Great Artist has spread on the canvass of nature. There is
the virtuous y tuned heart to feel the profoundest emotions of
the human heart. For it takes divinity to understand divinity
true nature to appreciate nature, and harmony to catch the harmonious cadences of earth, sky, and sea.
_
Gibran is great because he is supremely human, vibrant with
imagination, and clear in seeing and singing of the invisible.
.What the eye is to the body, the window to the house, imagination is to the soul: it is the eye of the soul. In the true poet we
have ecstasy of feeling, superior range of imagery, and divine
gift of expression. The true poet, mystic-like, pierces the unseen
with dynamic spiritual insight; musician-like, catches the harmonious cadences of reality; and psalmist-like, breaks forth in songs
or praise, gladness, and worship.
In Gibran the Syrian-American soul rises to sing of the Great
Singer, the Great Poet, and the Great Artist. The Syrian soul
rises to exalt human feelings, human seeing, and human appreciation to the glory of the Creator and Father of mankind. Such a
singer must lie close to the heart of nature, have insight into
reality, have commerce with the unseen, and have confidence in
the victory of goodness, beauty, and truth.
5. 77;,? Scholar of the Syrian-American Mind: Philip K. Hitti.
In Philip K. Hitti is the rise of the Syrian mind toward the
highest pinnacle of world scholarship. In our new homeland he
represents the Syrian intellect's power to climb to the heights
By his achievement the way is pointed out to the younger generation to achieve the highest within their heritage. He personifies
to the world the potentialities of the Syrian mind, its intelligence
its character, and its reach.
'
H. G. Wells says in The Outline of History, "At Cordoba in
particular there were great numbers of Christian students, and
the influence of Arab philosophy coming by way of Spain upon
�OCTOBER, 1930
13
PMip K. Hitti
the universities of Paris, Oxford, and North Italy and upon Western European thought generally, was very considerable indeed."
J^nilip K. Hitti is already shedding light in the New World upon
the treasures of the East. He is arousing respect for the Syrian
race, its history, and its native Jand. He is interpreting the history place, and contributions of the Near East to the modern
world. In him is the founding of Syrian intellectual, cultural,
and civilizing influences in the university centers of the world
In this worthy scholar of the Syrian-American race we have
�14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
inspiration for ambitious Syrian-American youth. His writings
are now turning the tide toward appreciation of our race His
personality is winning a way for a larger place for our race among
the races in America.
In the persons of some characters we see a nation turn the
corner to better times, and of such persons is Philip K Hitti His
success marks a landmark of the Syrian mind, shows the trend
ot Syrian mentality, and points the way to greater Syrian achievement.
Some men's influences color the history of all succeeding ages
In the rise of this scholar of the Syrian-American mind we have
set in motion influences which forever color the history of the
Syrian-American race, the American nation, and the modern
world.
6. The Leader of-the Syrian-American Awakening: S. A. Mokarzel.
Rupert Brooke, the soldier-poet, said. "Now, thanks unto
God who hath matched us with this hour."
S. A. Mokarzel is a leader whom the Lord has matched with
this hour of our Syrian-American race awakening, with this era
of Syrian-American race Americanism, and this period of our
Syrian-American race solidarity for enlightenment, achievement,
and glory. Prophet-like, he discerned the awakening of the Syrian-American race to their race history, race talents, race legacies,
and race-glory. Seer-like, he saw the need of the Syrian-American
generation for race enlightenment, race solidarity, and race
Americanism. Genius-like, he has endeavored to enlighten the
Syrian-American mind, promote race solidarity, and spur the
Americanism of the Syrian-Americans.
In this great soul are envisioned the aspirations of our generation. In his noble efforts are foreshadowed the attempts of
our race. In his hopes are symbolized the ideals of our people
Some men are interpreters of their race to the races of mankind. They act as mediators between the races of earth. They
lift their race to fame, power, and prestige among the races of
humanity. In S. A. Mokarzel we have a leader whose sterling
leadership is given to arouse the American nation to the appreciation of the Syrian race and its contributions to human progress.
S. A. Mokarzel is a leader whom Providence has raised for
our times. He possesses the true qualities of leadership for the
Syrian-American race awakening: character, ability, vision, spirit-
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�OCTOBER, 1930
15
uality, personality, Americanism and will H. • K
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It is natural, right, and timely that we Svrhn
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honor the great men, leaders cfta,actcr
characters f tt ^nan-AAmericans
race. Other races nnL tfT
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great men other
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Thc knowledge that in the city is a man who invented the
i uili oad, raises the credit of all the citizens.
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�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
On the Road to Damascus
A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE EDITOR'S
TRIP ABROAD
By
A.
SALLOUM
MOKARZEL
XI
QF all the cities of the East, Damascus remains by far the most
tyically Eastern. The veil of romance which guards its charms
rnd mysteries has defied the efforts of time to remove. Its ancient
landmarks, its tortuous, narrow streets and covered bazaars, its
singular distinction of being the outpost of settled civilization,
the border line between the desert and the sown, all remain as
evident today as at any time during the hoary history of the city,
reputed to be the oldest in the world. It is a strange feeling one
experiences when approaching this most famous of Syrian cities.
The reverence and awe inspired by its religious and political associations strangely mingle with the buoyant feeling of delight
aroused by its rich heritage of legend and fable. And the actuality does not fall for short of the expectation. Whichever way
you turn, your enraptured eyes rest upon a scene as beautiful as
it is strange. Perhaps nowhere else in the world are such extreme
contrasts to be found in such close proximity. A camel strides
leisurely in the crowded street jingling his bells heedless of the
tooting of automobile horns. A shepherd drives his flock of goats
and fat-tailed sheep in congested streets and over trolley tracks
as if his was the right of way. Veiled women flit about like phantoms while others parade nonchalantly in ultra-European styles.
And at the same time and in the same air of incongruity you
will see men of the desert with their heavy ighals and long flowing robes, brushing elbows with others in cut-away coats and spats,
while soldiers in trim uniforms and shining muskets offer a
strange contrast to the desert horsemen in the immemorable accoutrement of their tribes with but the addition of a long-barreled rifle.
*
*
*
*
I shall not here dwell on the history of Damascus and its
kaleidoscopic career throughout the ages. I shall, rather, confine
I
�1—mi.i
OCTOBER, 1930
}?
myself to recording my personal impressions and experiences on
my mt to the great city which I had read so much about but
had never seen. As mentioned in a previous installment, conditions prevailing in the country up to the close of the 19th century, when I migrated to America, did not induce much traveling,
bad roads and brigandage being potent deterrents, as well as a
particular pass ,n the Anti-Lebanon reputed to be extremely dangerous, its very name striking terror in the hearts of travelers
lhis pass had always been known to be infested with brigands
and almost invariably desperadoes and outlaws sought the Safety
of its crags and winding passes when fleeing pursuers. Wadi'lKarn, or Valley of the Horn, was a name associated with the
most sinister traditions.
H°'A
£ Washed wish of visiting this pass was to be
gratified. We were ,n times of peace and security and all we
could draw upon for thrills of danger was our imagination. It was
my farm purpose to see the country entire, and where I entertained any preference was for those hitherto little frequented or
inaccessible spots over which legend had thrown a shroud of mys-
We crossed the Plain of Al-Beka< over a fine asphalt road
which continued for some considerable distance over the gently
r-jsing foothills of the Anti-Lebanon range. The scenery aW
he valley was more pleasing than we had anticipated, judging
by the barren view of the mountain as a whole, because of the
care given to forestation.
Crossing a hill about midway in the mountain we came upon
a narrow gorge marking the beginning of Wadi'1-Karn To all
appearances there was nothing formidable or awesome about the
place; no precipitous or high towering cliffs that could not be
scaled, no extraordinary rock formations or caverns suitable for
hiding or holding siege On the contrary, the wadi looked tame
with its low flanking hills of almost even height. The early mental picture I had formed of it was rudely shattered
But we had not progressed far before I began to reform my
first opinion as I gradually discovered why the wadi cast such a
sinister spell over travelers, especially those acquainted with its
pas history. The farther.we went the stronger, the ominous
feeling grew, so that it was with a welcome sense of relief that
one emerged into the relatively hospitable valley of Maissaloon.
What gives to Wadi'1-Karn its sinister spell, ks forebodings
of lurking danger, is not its impressiveness as a valley as much
�—I
18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
T
thebaTl °L i°TtB71 %T m tke Valley °f Mtssdoon, where
the battle that deaded the, fate of Syria was fought between the
byrtans and the French in 1920
as its peculiar topographical formation. It is a sort of canvon
running through hills of uniform height and forming ,arZ
and restricted honzon. It is desolate and bleak and, what is more
its ^Jigging course never permits of a perspective of more than
re
d to e
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extremely
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and sharp
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that the nlH
old Lebanese
folk
song so-
Littk SUr rise theref
P 'the woman
^>
highly praised
wW husband proved so brave as to "journey to Damascus
Debouching from Wadi'1-Karn at Maissaloon one comes in
touch with the first signs of civilization. An old inn by the side
or a rill has been turned into a gasolene station. Here also the
eye is regaled by the sight of vegetation, and flocks of goats doing
to it their proverbial damage, leaving only the old and lofty} trees
uninjured.
To the east of this spot rises a hill which commands the little
valley and on which could still be discerned traces of the fortifications which the Syrian army, composed mostly of raw recruits,
hastily threw up in its valiant but vain effort to check the advance
ot the French army under general Gouraud in 1920. That battle
�D
OCTOBER, 1930
19
The cemetery of the French soldiers who fell in the battle of
Maissaloon, at but a short distance from the tomb of the Syrian
Minister of War.
decided the fate of Syria and paved the way for the French occupation of the interior. Its anniversary, falling on July 24, is commemorated with elaborate ceremonies every year, delegations
coming from all sections of the country to take part. On the day
of our visit, August 10, some of the wreaths placed on the tomb
of Joseph Bey Azme, the Syrian War Minister who preferred
death to retreat, were still in evidence. The tomb was wrought
in white marble but stood in an open field, in sharp contrast to
the finely kept and walled-in cemetery of the French dead.
We gained the summit of the hill over a sharp-winding road
which gave access to a vast deploying plateau as level as it was
bare. The straight road reaching the farther hills to the east
stretched like a narrow ribbon. To the south rose towering Mt.
Hermon whose sombre grey monotony was relieved only in spots
by lingering snow patches. What wonders of transformation
could be wrought in this beautifully located spot among the mountains by the magic touch of water! But nature seems to have
reserved its bounties for a spot further east, and a little lower
in elevation.
We had to make a few detours in crossing the plain where repairs were being made to the road. But the hard and even surface of the ground made travel possible in any direction without
�':#.*
PANORAMIC VIEW OF DAMASCUS
3
Co
3
The famous capital of Syria with its flat-roofed houses and towering minarets,"appearing
like a sparklmg gem of multicolored hues set in a vast emerald field." '
ft 5 ||
P
3
fir Gf cr
o a
O
ST ET
a,
P
P
c«
OfQ
C O 3 K* El
3 3 fD ^ 3"
2 5-^3
22
O
%
b
�MM
OCTOBER, 1930
21
much discomfort, The opposite hills were reached in less than
half an hour.
The most widely quoted reference to the beauty of Damascus and its famous Ghouta is the story related of the Prophet
Mohammad that when, during one of his commercial journeys, he
emerged from the sandy wastes of the desert and beheld the
dazzling green of the Damascus orchards, he exclaimed, "This
is a terrestial paradise. I will not enter it for fear of jeopardizing
my chances of entry into the Paradise of the hereafter." The
Prophet's exclamation of surprise and admiration may well be,
in modified form, that of all travelers approaching Damascus, whether from the east or the west. Except that from
the west the first effect of exotic delight at the music of murmuring streams and the beauty of rich verdure and the welcome coolness of the embalmed air is intensified by progressive stages a«
one descends the gentle slopes to gain the plain. Here the more
one advances the wider the fields of green expand in testimony
to the magic effect of the branching waters. One no longer remembers the scorching heat of the desert sun, nor the desolate
expanse of sandy wastes. The eye that hungered for a touch of
green is here treated to it in unexpected measure, and the feeling
of ecstasy becomes supreme. The sharp contrast attending the
sudden transition from one extreme to the other is, perhaps, what
accentuates this feeling of relief. The effect is such as to create
a most happy predisposition to enjoy the many other beauties of
the city and its setting.
The road runs along the banks of River Barada amidst enchanting scenery. The gently sloping terrain offers an ever
changing vista of charm and beauty. Alternating cascades and
pools afford endless temptations for the pleasure-loving Damascenes. The single railroad track on the opposite bank is cause for
but little disturbance in the quiet of the pleasant surroundings,
trains being run hardly more than twice a day. This neighborhood of the head-waters of Barada, bearing such musical names
as Dummar and Hamat, has long been the inspiration of poets
and the theme for many a popular song.
Emerging from these sylvan retreats and scenes of delightful rusticity, the traveler comes to a point affording a dazzling
panoramic view of the city spreading in the plain. It appears not
unlike a sparkling gem of multicolored hues set in a vast emerald
field. The domes and minarets of its many mosques, the huge
�f0t
!
22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A typical scene in one of the old quarters of Damascus, where a
shepherd claims the right of way for his flock over trolley tracks.
glass-covered roofs of its bazaars looming like great hangars,
the drab of its closely huddled buildings frequently relieved by
rich touches of green in streets or courtyards, all combine to lend
it an aspect of a dream city, especially to one just emerging from
the waste and desolation of the desert.
Now the city is not entered through a gate as of old. The
approach is over a broad boulevard that still bears the marks of
an early stage of development, having progressed only to the
point of being lined with ultra-modern looking cafes all along
the water course. The only imposing building before entering
the confines of the city proper is the old Turkish barracks now
transformed into a university.
Soon after we were at the entrance of the principal hotel and
being received by a porter in native dress, not altogether sightly,
and in bare feet and slippers. This was not calculated to impart
a favorable first impression, but the place proved to be good in
all other respects. After lunch and a short rest we started on
what proved to be some of the most interesting experiences of
our travels through Syria.
.,...
.,-.- ..
awwMMfe*ri.^
�OCTOBER, 1930
Damascus
(The Pearl of the East)
By
THOMAS ASA
The Prophet's earthly paradise thou art,
Eternal mound in countless ages lain;
And though another has usurped thy part,
Ten thousand years shall over thee in vain.
And in the midday sun thy minarets,
Resplendent with their alabaster gleam,
Tow'ring rise, which no mortal eye forgets,
The earthly vision of some poet's dream.
And to the Desert sight thy sheltered bow'rs
Give strength to wearied limbs of pilgrimage;
Thou should'st have been the mart of sacred pow'rs,
O'er which three shrines in futile efforts wage.
And with the advent of the evening hour,
As fades the purpling sun into the West,
The faithful Muezzin cries from his tow'r,
And calls to pray'r who seek the Prophet's rest.
And when the welcome canopy of Night
Embraces thee within its dark'ning shades,
The moon and stars, with their celestial light,
Illume with Love thy gardens, streams, and glades.
'Tis then I think what once wise Omar thought:
Drink deep of wisdom, beauty, happiness;
Conform thy Life to what the Earth has wrought,
Ere Death shall close thee to the Sun's caress.
mmnmHHmSmi-.
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Syrian World a Corporation
An Investment Productive of Moral Benefit and
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JN all the history of Syrian immigration to the United States no
pubhc project has yet been undertaken that combines the two
TuzZf "w ] ^^i and finandal Profit as the PublicationTf
L
SUCh THE SYRIAN W RLD is
SiL thfH
°- u*
°
« ^der-
V S thC Sen US consi
nir^H Q
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deration of every publicspirited Syrian, Lebanese, or any of the other immigrant ele-
thC
ArabiC tOI
e
"ns
de^ ^
^^
^now
- The
-eh
consideration
are many
and varied, and
that~£
the publication
h" tZZToT"
"^ ^^ fr°m
COm m n ownershi
AmeriT^ f 1
r °
P
th£
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^ASSS* " ^ SUbmltted " Pr°SpeCtiVe LeS"
HISTORY OF THE PUBLICATION
is the realization of an ideal. It was
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tion who had no ready means of satisfying their naturafdes re
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CW
PP mSS am n th£
del
in
Zt^
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different'commu'nt
ties, in America and abroad, with whom they had natural bonds
of racial interests. Another and equally important obje is "or
the Syrians m America to provide a medium for the proper interpreta ion of Synan culture and the representation of the Syrians
in heir true standing as a component element in the American
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striven to attain throughout its career. Its efforts have been such
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I he Syrians have found in the publication a dignified organ fittingly representing them in their finest cultural traditions, and the
Americans have welcomed it as a source of information urgently
needed on Syria and the Syrians. The four years of THE SYRIAN
W0RLD'S publlc tl
h
d to estaW4 .t ^ JVRIAN
I
n the esteem of the thinking element in our community. The
test or its usefulness and necessity is in the answer to the ques-
�OCTOBER, 1930
25
toon: Has THE SYRIAN WORLD been of benefit to the Syrians,
and can we afford to dispense with it?" A thinking Syrian, man
or woman has yet to be found who would not consider the suspension of THE SYRIAN WORLD, or a publication of its character,
an irreparable national loss. As a racial element in America we
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HOW TO PROMOTE AND PERPETUATE THE
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second, an opportunity to expand so as to more efficiently and
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tor putting into effect the plans for expansion, and lends to it
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CORPORATE ORGANIZATION AND METHODS OF
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That the stock may be distributed as broadly as possible the
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For illustration: If a subscriber should purchase eight shares
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�26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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All net earnings of the corporation over and above the diviSt Ck arC
able
t
tnTrT
7ofSffif*
° holders
^of
cretion
of the Board
Directors to the
the«^excommon
St ck wil1 be held
untif
^V^
"* °fthe
° successful operation
* < of*
until aa^ven'sum^
given sum is received
insuring
the plans for expansion and improvement.
PROSPECTS HOLD GREAT PROMISE
m Jh7dditi°nai CaPltal ra'Sed ^ the sa]e of st°ck will be used
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Syrians in America, but also increase its popular appeal and sub
stantially enlarge its circulation with a consequent increase in
revenue. This in turn would further add to the effectiveness of
its service in carrying out its educational mission.
The immediate field for the increase of circulation is extensive. Being the only organ for the Syrians published in English
every English-reading Syrian in America or abroad is a potential
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born. Conceding that only 10% of this number can be ultimately
induced to subscribe, the publication would not only be carrying
out its educational mission effectively, but would also prove a
financial success.
*"
The capital sought by the sale of stock is to form the necessary
organization that would seek the means of reaching the vast number of prospective subscribers among the Syrian communities scattered throughout the United States.
Besides, the circulation of THE SYRIAN WORLD need not be
restricted to Syrians. Every Syrian proud of his name would be
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immediately open an unlimited field for
In view of the above stated facts, investment in
THE SYRIAN
2riSJ e0rp0ratl°!: Su°Ulrd haVC the Str°nSest aPPeal *> publicspirited Syrians, whether from consideration of profitable investment or the promotion of a work that exerts the strongest influence on our standing in America as a race
^
m
�OCTOBER, 1930
27
ALI ZAIBAQ
(Quicksilver)
THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF THE
CHIEF OF POLICE OF THE CALIPH HAROUN
AL-RASHID, OF THE CITY OF BAGDAD.
Translated from the original Arabic by
A. MOKARZEL and THADDEUS S. DAYTON
SALLOUM
CHAPTER
II.
THE ENCHANTED CITY
"Q my son," said Quicksilver's mother, "the Enchanted City is
at a distance of forty days' journey from Cairo. No mortal
man has yet visited it and returned alive. Know also that the
Magic Box of the All-Seeing Eye, is constructed of precious
stones: emerald, diamond, ruby, and turquoise. It was fashioned
by a certain Greek Sorcerer who was accustomed, by sitting within
it, to view therefrom all parts of the world and all their treasures,
simply by turning about.
"After finishing this work he performed an act of geomancy,
and it was disclosed to him that after his death this box would fall
into the hands of a certain stranger from Egypt. Therefore, he
selected an island far from the Enchanted City, and there he
built a great dome beneath which he deposited this enchanted
box which was the fruit of his life's toil. Then, as a further precaution, he enchanted the island and caused two opposing scimitars to play up and down forever before the entrance so that no
one might pass. Also he built a great statue of brass which he
placed at the entrance of the Enchanted City as a guardian against
anyone who might come with designs against this product of his
witchery. Now the function of this statue of brass is to utter a
thunderous cry whenever a stranger from Egypt approaches the
gates of the city, thereby informing the inhabitants of his presence. Thereupon they will rush forth to slay him."
"^?^Tr.i-<
�po
THE SYRIAN WORLD
lifeT0W^mZJ°n,"l.-0,IltinUed Fatimah> "y°u are risking your
Me ,n undertakingthis
hazardous task, but if you persist in it I
e y U
rCP
Zt nCe t0 tHe Shrine f
and
r
°
° ^Pt's Patron saint,
asl f° 1°
and ask for his intercession with God so that he will help you to
P Y
execute successfully this undertaking."
Accordingly Quicksilver went that night and lay down in the
shnne and whi e he was in peaceful slumber therecame to hfm
uTAnd a heavenly voice called to him and said-
two ruhi?,UlCkl
.1 5ef°re Ly°U depart CUt out a branch about
that
temn e nVnarry ^
K y U^n Mm
^0WS before this
]t Wlth
y Ur ***
Urne
You
13 K
/
° °
°
J°
y-
U find that
it w 11 be of great service to you in executing your mission »
Upon arising next morning Quicksilver cut off a branch of
he palm tree as he had been directed, and went forth as if
transported on the wings of a great hope
e
Ud
7 f r S£Veral dayS thr0U h a vast de
His^
nnr
f
^
T
° exhausted and he gwas on the point
^t.
u
His supply of water became
of perishing from thirst. While he was meditating upon* ni
3 f^T? the distance a palm tree toward which he
directed his steps. Beneath it he found a well of pure and delicious water, but to his great surprise could discover no bucket
or rope by which it could be reached. Therefore he unwound hi
urban and took his belt from his waist and tying both together
iuench HftTirs^ "* ** T " *" "" "** «* ft ~*
While he was so engaged he saw reflected in the water at the
bottom of the well the faces of two men secreted amid the
branches of the palm tree that overshadowed it. He instantly suspected that these men were lying in wait for him
After satisfying his thirst he took from his bag some antidote for benj which he secretly placed in his nostrils. Then he
lighted a phosphoric stick and by that means burned a quantity of
that powerful drug benj, so that the smoke rose in a dense cloud
CS
hidden
°f
th£
^
WhCre the tWO men were
After waiting until the benj should take effect, Quicksilver
nsThn 1 /^e a « f°Und tHf tW° men ly'mZ amon& the inches
as though dead He pitilessly cast them to the earth and then
descended, and bound them hand and foot. This done, he administered the antidote for the drug whereupon they sneezed and
recovered their senses. Finding themselves helpless, they beg&
ged for mercy and said:
*
^.-,;W««*
�OCTOBER, 1930
2p
"Quicksilver, hasten not to visit punishment upon us, for we
are only emissaries of Salah-Eddin who has sent us to intercept
Y
Tw t*TY and preVent yoUr return to Cair°; bu< the mantle
or Allah s .Protection seems to cover you."
Thereupon Quicksilver tightened their bonds and left them
alone and helpless by the well in the desert while he proceeded
on his way He continued his journey until he approached the
Enchanted City. It was then in the dusk of the evening, and
considering that this was not an opportune moment to enter the
city he sat down, saying to himself:
"I will repair to the mountains nearby and remain there until
morning; then I will go into the city, for it is now dark and undoubtedly danger lurks in the way."
At that moment Quicksilver heard a great tumult and cries
rising in the distance in the direction of the city; so he left the
path and made for a cave that was not far distant. There he remained until night had fallen and everything was dark Then
his restless spirit urged him forth towards the Enchanted City
but on his way he perceived a light burning dimly in a cave near
the road and he turned aside to discover the reason for a light in
that desert place. As he drew near and reached the mouth of the
cavern he saw a company of blacks surrounding a beautiful damsel of fair complexion, whose face resembled the moon at its full
She was lamenting, beating her breast and shedding tears like
pearls and when Quicksilver perceived her he was greatly
amazed, and said to himself:
"No doubt this beautiful maiden is of noble birth and has
been kidnaped from the house of her father and brought to this
secluded place by these black slaves who undoubtedly intend evil
against her. I must save her' from their hands and return her
safely to her home."
Thereupon he took from his traveling bag a phosphoric stick
which he covered with benj and when it was aflame threw it into
the cave.
After waiting a little while, he entered and found all the
blacks lying on the ground as though dead. He proceeded directly
to where,the maiden was-and administered to her an antidote
which revived her-and she opened her eyes in wonderment saying"Where am I ?. . For the sake of Allah!"
To which Quicksilver responded:' "6 beautiful damsel, I
pray you tell me how you came to be in the hands of these
blacks."
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
On hearing these words the white maiden answered:
"Know, O young man, that I am the daughter of the King
of the Enchanted City, who is the ruler of all this land.
"Now there was in our city a most precious treasure—the
work of a great sorcerer. This magician discovered that this
treasure would one day be taken by force by some stranger from
the land of Egypt. Therefore he hid it away on an island distant from our city, and he cast a spell of magic over that island
also. Then he caused to be made a great statue of brass which he
placed at the entrance of the Enchanted City so that if a stranger
from Egypt should approach it would raise a great outcry at
which the people would rush forth to defend themselves against
the invader.
"It was not until this very day that this statue, which had
been silent for ages, raised its voice, and thereupon the inhabitants of the Enchanted City, remembering the ancient tradition,
rushed forth, led by my father the King, and all the occupants
of the palace.
"There was no one left in the palace but myself. While I
was thus alone these blacks made their appearance. They bound
me and carried me to this isolated spot, saying to me:
" 'We have waited long for this favorable occasion. You, and
you alone are what we are seeking.' "
"No sooner had I heard these words," continued the Princess,
"than I despaired of my fate. There seemed no hope of deliverance from the hands of these savages. O bravest of the brave,
accept my sincere, undying gratitude, for rescuing me. When
my father learns of this he will enrich you with money and
jewels and high honors in recompense for your noble act."
But instead of accepting these golden prospects Quicksilver's thoughts centered themselves on the strange coincidence
which had brought about his encounter with the daughter of the
very king whose country he was seeking to enter.
Straightway Quicksilver and the Princess turned their steps
in the direction of the Enchanted City.
Now it happened that this Princess was the most beautiful
woman of the age. The fame of her loveliness, wisdom and accomplishments had traveled far and wide and was the subject of
conversation in the courts of kings. She was sought in marriage
by the greatest men of the time, but her father loved her so much
that he would never consent to be separated from her.
�OCTOBER, 1930
J;
Now it also happened that the news of her great and surpassng beauty had reached the ears of the King of the Blacfaand
the Soudanese the ruler of a great empire, and his heart and
mind were filled with the thoughts of the loveliness of the Princess of the Enchanted City. So he sent an embassy to ask the
Princess s hand in marriage, but the King, her father, refused.
This enraged the King of the Blacks, and he called for the
most noted of his champions and the most cunning of his spies
and related to them everything from beginning to end. He commanded them to disguise themselves and to go to the Enchanted
Uty and there to contrive some stratagem for obtaining possession of the daughter of the White King and bringing her to him.
It they were successful he promised them whatsoever they might
It was not long thereafter before this company of spies and
warriors set out on their journey, in the guise of merchants. They
reached the Enchanted City and entered it, finding lodgment in
some of the khans and awaiting an opportune moment for the
accomplishment of their master's desires.
"This unexpectedly came about in the manner which I shall
relate to you," said the tale-teller, "at the end of our next day's
march, should Allah vouchsafe us his protection from the genii
that are abroad by day and night upon this great desert."
(To be continued)
Hunger
By
MISCHA NAIMY
Into my heart a seed was cast
And it took root and sprouted fast.
It spread so far and reached so high,
Until it filled the earth and sky.
And now its boughs are weighted low
With fairer fruit than angels know;
Yet I whose heart sap feeds the root,
Though famished, dare not taste the fruit.
�i !
32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Tragic Love of a Caliph
A SHORT STORY
Adapted from the Arabic
(Continued from the September issue)
For a time Saada permitted Yazid to relax while surrounding
him with the most ingenious display of the tenderest solicitude.
She was preparing him for the climax which she had most cunningly planned. At times she would appear in the role of critic
and admonisher and at others she would assume the role of loving comforter. Under her subtle influence it was not long before
\ azid lost what little he had of will power and became a ready
tool in her hand.
Having worked Yazid to such a submissive and receptive
mood, Saada was now ready to spring on him her great surprise.
She had laid her plans most skillfully and was now about to proceed with their execution.
"What can now trouble the mind of my lord and master?"
she began by way of preparation. "Has my beloved Yazid not
accomplished his most sanguine ambition? Is he not now the
successor of the Prophet and the Prince of All the Faithful?
What more exalted situation can a mortal desire? Oh! that it
were in my power to read my master's thoughts that I might devote every moment of my life towards their fulfillment!"
"Beloved Saada," wearily replied Yazid, "I have truly come
to the fulfillment of my ambitions, but the caliphate to me is
worth but little in comparison to your sweet company."
Yazid was making an attempt to be chivalrous. He' loved
Saada of a sort, and this she realized only full well. She filled
a place in his official life, but not the place that the genuine love
of a woman fills in a man's heart.
"But why the apparent despondency of my beloved lord and
master," Saada continued. "Here you have attended today the
official function at which the homage of the world is laid at your
feet. And if this were not to gratify your desires, behold me
now at your side ready and willing to lay down my very life for
the consummation of your utmost personal happiness. But will
not my master confide implicitly in me? What desire is there
mmnnHmMmni
I,
�OCTOBER, 1930
<
33
weighing on his heart that I could relieve? My lord thirsts for
a drink, does he not?" and before he could answer she clapped
for her slaves, who came in bringing wine, and fruit, and all
manner of the most delectable relishes. Yazid drank and ate, but
all the wine that Saada forced on him could not shake him out
of his melancholy mood. Saada, however, was not alarmed, not
even depressed. Rather, she was wont to smile in satisfaction
at the auspicious working of her plans.
Now Saada was ready to shoot the last arrow out of her
• quiver of artifices. She drew near to Yazid and caressed him
softly.
"I^know that my lord is concealing something from his loyal
slave," she said, "something that even the most coveted power
in Islam could not make him forget. There surely is some personal concern weighing over your heart. You must tell me, Yazid, for Allah is all compassionate and merciful, and his ways
of rewarding his faithful servants are mysterious and strange,
and perhaps he has chosen me as the vehicle for rewarding you
and bringing joy to your heart. Now you must admit, Yazid,
that your happiness is not complete. All the pomp of the caliphate
was insufficient to fill the void that you feel in your bosom. Tell
me, Yazid, do you not still lack something?"
She looked into his eyes as if to read the innermost reactions
of his soul, but he still clung to his secret, simply replying- "No
sweet Saada, I lack nothing."
"Yes you do,'" she insisted in an assertive tone, "and while
I might have detected the truth, I wanted vou to voluntarily impart it to me. You still feel the lack of something, or someone,
a beloved person, a comforter. Do you not, of a truth?"
Now that Saada had progressed in the disclosure of her
knowledge of his mind from the "something" to the "someone,"
Yazid realized that she knew more than she had already divulged. For was it not the absence of this "someone" that made him
lose all the joy and satisfaction of succeeding to the caliphate?
Was it not originally his ambition to seek the caliphate with all
the power attending upon it, only to be in a position to regain
possession of the greater prize which he had lost when he was
forced to sell the incomparable slave-girl Hubaba? Now he had
gained the lesser prize but was still lacking the greater and more
precious one. The memory of Hubaba was forever the spectre
that stalked his path and haunted his every move, and now that
Saada had so subtly hinted at his continued loss, his grief and
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
anguish were mercilessly crushing him. Nor did he entertain the
hope of ever finding her. He had already made secret inquiries
and was told that she was sold first to a master in Iraq, and then
to another in far-off Marrakesh; whence she seemed to have completely vanished and all traces of her lost. Oh! that he could
confide his woe to a sympathetic soul that the burden of his misery might partly be lightened by being borne with another! Why
should Saada now open his wounds and remind him of the emptiness of wordly pomp and power when the man in him nursed a
dead heart consumed to ashes by a desperate and departed loveI azid was so enfolded in his despondent thoughts that he became
oblivious of the presence of Saada. The only world to him was
the enchanted world which Hubaba alone could create by her
presence. He could not help but heave a sigh. Oh, that she were
only there to complete his happiness!
At the thought of Hubaba a faint smile played over Yazid's
countenance and Saada was not slow to understand. She had been
actually thinking with him and divining his every notion. She
followed the success which she had already gained.
"My master has not yet answered my question," she breathed
softly to interrupt his reverie. "My master would do well to
open his soul to me."
"Saada," almost cried Yazid in an attitude of surrender "I
do lack something, and that very badly. Lack it to the point of
placing not the least value upon my whole realm in comparison
to it And that something is not a thing, it is a person. Forgive
me for baring my heart to you, but my heart is at the breaking
po:nt from anguish. If the truth will not hurt you, I will tell "
But Saada showed by her every action that she was fully sympathetic and understanding. She was the one urging him to con"My lord should realize my sincere solicitude for his happiness. Nothing that will effect his pleasure can hurt me" she
sweetly whispered.
'
"Then I shall tell you," said Yazid. "I shall not be fully
happy until I recover possession of Hubaba."
At this Yazid almost broke down, but the all-thoughtful and
comforting Saada was quick to the rescue. He startled when she
asked him.
'|And would you recognize her if you were to sec her now?"
"Is she here?" adced Yazid, in a tone of both supplication
and surprise. "I beg of thee, Saada, beloved, hold me not in
�OCTOBER, 1930
35
cruel suspense any longer."
For answer Saada made a hurried exit from the chamber and
returned leading Hubaba by the hand. The slave-girl, fresh
from the bath and resplendent in costly dress and sparkling
jewels, was more beautiful than ever. Yazid, in the exuberance
of his joy, cast aside all reserve in his welcome of her. For once
he felt his pleasure complete and forthwith proceeded to add to
it some more for good measure. The whole royal household
were summoned to the grand hall of festivities to celebrate the
return of Hubaba. And the caliph's hilarity could not fail of being contagious. Singers, musicians, jesters and dancers gave of
their best, and there was no restriction on the consumption of
wine.
Fate was kind to Yazid for some time. For over two months
his only concern was to indulge in the orgies of pleasure which
the return of Hubaba inspired. By her song Hubaba could make
him weep with contrition, or dance of sheer delight. He was
wont at times to fill a special basin in one of the inner courts with
wine and plunge into it fully dressed. On other occasions he
would carry a cushion on his head and parade about the room,
crying, "Fish! fresh fish! Who will buy fish of the fisherman!"
in imitation of the hawkers of the street. The playful spirit of
Yazid could not be suppressed.
Now the people of Damascus began to grumble at the caliph's
continued neglect of the affairs of state and some of his advisers
made bold to bring the matter to his attention.
"Your predecessor, Omar, was a man of noted piety and
justice," they pleaded, "and your continued inattention to the
affairs of state is bound to cause discontent, which might lead to
more serious consequences. Appear then to the people this coming Friday and lead them in prayer, as behooves the successor of
the Prophet and the Prince of the Faithful."
Yazid was impressed with the cogency of the argument and
promised to repent. For two days thereafter he sat in judgment
and devoted his entire time and attention to public matters, not
even once visiting the harem quarters. Hubaba became alarmed.
Friday marked the third day of Yazid's repentence, and, true
to his word, he was proceeding to the great mosque to lead the
faithful in prayers. But Hubaba had planned otherwise, and her
influence on Yazid was never known to fail. She bribed one of
his personal attendants to hide her in a convenient place along the
corridor where Yazid was to pass on his way to the mosque, and
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
when he drew near she pleaded with him to resume his former
attentions to her. And Yazid could not resist. He forthwith ordered his chief of guards to lead in prayer in his stead while he
straightway followed Hubaba into their regular haunts of pleasure.
The relapse of Yazid into his former irresponsible state was
cause for great concern "to his advisers, and the very vizier who
had caused the temporary repentence again came to press the argument. Yazid proved attentive but not amenable. He would
give his consent only conditionally and proposed a bargain.
"Under pretense of being blind," he suggested, "you will
accompany me into the harem to listen to Hubaba's singing and
attend other forms of entertainment. If, after personal observation, you insist on my giving up my pleasures I shall repent irrevocably."
Saying which, Yazid led the vizier by the hand into the precincts of the harem. Immediately the slave-girls gathered about
the stranger and threatened to beat him, some even throwing
their slippers at him. They were appeased only by the intercession of Yazid and hisassurance that the man was blind. For otherwise no stranger could lay eyes on the harem of the caliph and
be suffered to live. Yazid then commanded Hubaba to sing and
the other slave-girls and entertainers to indulge freely.
"What is your verdict now?" whispered the caliph into the
ear of the vizier.
. "Truly this is not of the earth," stammered the transported
vizier. "This is of the ecstasy of Al-Jannat. By Allah, keep it up.
H ou are absolved of any blame."
And^ Yazid did keep it up, pursuing his pleasures with a vengeance, if such were possible. The affairs of state were carried
on by the very strong impetus which characterized the early rise
of Islam. Debauchery was in the palace but not in the victorious
armies fighting under the banners of the Arabian Prophet.
One day Yazid was so transported with joy that he said to
Hubaba:
"Beloved, I will fly without wings if you so command me."
But his beloved was considerate. She could not permit his embarking on such a hazardous feat!
"I know that your joy is of such buoyancy that you can fly
without wings," she remonstrated. "But who is there to guide
the destinies of the empire after you? There is but one Yazid."
"I will proclaim you my successor and appoint Abdullah
�OCTOBER, 1930
climax "
hC COntiniled hy W
37
^
()f aln
T'»g the pleasantry to a
"I dismiss the regent," she hastened to say in a show of authonty.
/P^u Y°u dismif the man J aPPoillt-?" he retorted in anger,
and forthwith retired to his own apartment
Yazid, however, could not bear Hubaba's absence for more
than a day, although he could not with dignity take the initiative
towards a reconciliation. He called to him Hubaba's favorite
<3hat may y0Ur mistress be doing now?" he inquired
She is occupied in play, O Prince of the Faithful," the servant replied.
"Go and engage her in a game of chess," commanded the
caliph, and at a given time pick up the pawns and run hither in
my direction."
The servant did as ordered, and when Hubaba was chasing
the offending servant she ran into Yazid's arms!
Yasid resolved there should be no further scenes to mar the
even flow of his happiness. He would plan his days in a manner
that each would surpass the other in the perfect consummation of
pJeasure. He would disprove the common contention that happiness could never be complete to any man for a full daV He
would have of that not only one day but many days. Accordingly
} azid proceeded to carry out his plans. He ordered barred all
intruders whatever the nature of their business and retired with
Hubaba to a rose bower in a secluded corner of the royal gardens
Slaves came in long trains carrying wine and fruits and viands and
all other forms of appetizing delicacies. Hubaba sang and plaved
and sported with the caliph in her happiest mood of buoyant
hilarity And 1 azid went into ecstasies of delight. So far his
com lete
false!
P
- The common adage was branded as
Yazid's high spirits made him extremely playful Not a
device of merriment could he think of than should be tried Hubaba s resourcefulness was responsible for many ingenious games.
While in this mood Yazid began pelting Hubaba with luscious
pomegranate seeds which she roguishly caught in her mouth The
play proceeded merrily until a seed became wedged in Hubaba's
throat. She coughed and writhed in a desperate effort to dislodge
*" j £ ,TS fra,ntlC and called for assistance like one become
mad. Hubaba could not be saved and she soon ceased her strug-
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
gle and dropped her head like a withered rose. Fate was mightier than the caliph! She was also cruel in her revenge!
For days Yazid would not permit the burial of Hubaba's body.
He could not bring himself to realize that she was dead. He
abstained from all food and drink until he became a mere shadow.
His great grief was pitiful to behold and whatever he had left
of strength cracked under its weight. It was suspected that he
was intent upon hastening his end so as the sooner to join his beloved in Al-Jannat. He followed her into the beyond forty days
after her tragic end.
Yazid was the only caliph of Islam known to have died a
martyr to love.
On his death bed he was heard to whisper: "Fool is he who
would stay the hand of Fate. Complete happiness can never be
the lot of mortal for a whole day, not even for a part thereof.
The hand of Allah is above all others!"
Saada's grief over the death of Yazid was sincere, but between her tears a faint smile would play over her countenance
when she thought of her nursling son and the future of Islam.
On Giving and Taking
By G. K. GlBRAN
You owe more than gold to him who serves you. Give him
of your heart or serve him.
I would walk with all those who walk. I would not stand
still and watch the procession passing by.
How mean am I when life gives me gold and I give you
silver, and yet I deem myself generous.
How heedless you are when you would have me fly with
your wings and you cannot even give me a feather.
They spread before us their richest of gold and silver, of
ivory and ebony, and we spread before them our hearts and our
spirits:
And yet they deem themselves the hosts and us the guests.
�OCTOBER, 1930
39
EDITORIAL COMMENT
THE SYRIAN WORLD, Inc.
yHE announcement of the
incorporation of THE SYRIAN
WORLD, published elsewhere in
this issue, is self-explanatory.
The purpose, aside from raising
funds for improvement and expansion, is to pass the publication into actual public ownership in substantiation of the
claim that it is a public Syrian
institution. The result will be
a gradual building up of an
organization that will be trained
to carry on the work and make
it an enduring monument to the
Syrians of America.
In furtherance of this plan,
the incorporators have decided
to issue the preferred stock at
a moderate par value so as to
insure for it the widest possible
distribution. It is felt that there
should be stockholders in THE
SYRIAN
WORLD
corporation
wherever there are Syrians, because, aside from its investment
value, ownership of stock is
proof positive of racial pride
and civic interest.
Purchase of stock in THE
SYRIAN
WORLD
corporation
should also prove of strong appeal to patriotic societies whose
avowed purpose is the promotion of Syrian public welfare.
It can readily be realized that
while their sphere of activities
might of necessity be restricted
to their local communities, they
can through their sponsoring
of THE SYRIAN WORLD, extend
their interest to the national
held and thereby render a
double service.
THE SYRIAN WORLD has been
carried on for over four years
as an individual enterprise,
and although its resources have
been limited, it has succeeded
in proving that its scope of public service is beyond limit. It
has furthermore established itself as an indispensable institution which we should be impelled by a consciousness of
racial pride not only to support
and continue but also to increase its facilities as an instrument of public service to our
Syrian-American generation as
well as an indispensable national organ and a disseminator of
our culture and a champion of
our racial interests in the language of the land.
We earnestly ask organizations and individuals to give
serious thought to the proposition of investing in THE SYRIAN
WORLD corporation on the consideration that it is an investment in the most vital public
enterprise
yet
undertaken
among the Syrians in America.
�MM
'
(!
40
It is high time we develop a
sense of cooperation and a proper appreciation of the benefits
of collective action in matters
of public interest.
RELATIVE OBLIGATIONS
J"HE two leading Syrian papers of "America, Al-Hoda
and Meraat-Ul-Gharb, have
taken up seriously of late the
discussion of the relations of
the Syrians in America to their
motherland. Both seem to be of
accord that the duty of the Syrians in America is towards their
own immediate interests first.
Such a statement, on the face
of it, would appear superfluous
*n view of the self-evident
truth that no other course
would be logical. But the fact
remains that there is abundant
reason for thinking otherwise,
giving rise to the timely complaint of the two papers.
The Syrians of America,
judging by the comment of the
Syrian-American publications,
are being unduly exploited for
all manner of schemes and
propositions and enterprises in
the mother country that have no
direct bearing on their immediate interest or welfare. This
evil, according to the argument
advanced, could be mittgated if
the Syrians of America would
show as much interest in vital
public matters that immediately
concern them as they do in remote and somewhat irrelevant
THE SYRIAN WORLD
schemes foisted on them from
abroad. But the fact of the situation is they do not, hence the
aggravation.
Although no specific instances
are cited, which fact may be attributed to a magnanimous impulse, enough is said in general
terms to give a clear idea of the
object in view. The prevailing
note is an expression of indignation and surprise that foreign
enterprises attract much more
support than do those of home.
A newspaper publisher of no
standing comes to America and
collects in subscriptions in the
course of a few months more
than a publisher of a home
newspaper could hope to accumulate in years, if he is at all
successful in reaching the figures of the foreigner. This circumstance seems to be particularly aggravating to our SyrianAmerican publishers because of
their feeling that America is
their own particular field, and
whatever income is to be derived from it should go by right
to them. For, they argue, are
they not fighting the battles of
the Syrians in America and catering to their immediate
needs? Why then should someone from abroad compete with
them in their own field and
carry away what should be law*
fully theirs?
Furthermore,
Arabic-Language newspapers in general
are complaining of decreased
�OCTOBER, 1930
41
demands from ab ad, I^d
^—- P^^ing in the
tion. Schools, hospital, dvk
improvements church L~!_
repairs
and various public and private
chanties have taken a toll of
the Syrian-Americans' funds
seemingly at the expense of
their own public enterprises,
and aJJ for no reason other than
the Syrians' tharitable disposifirm
in/) sentimental
„
a.!
.1 w^T
.*
tion and
^ £TS
°f the *«bic
d
• «
»tmct commun ty
,„ Amenca our paramount interest should be in our own
vital public matters. We owe it
to ourselves and to posterity to
develop a civic spirit alive to
our public requirements. From
purely humanitarian and sential considerations we may
mental
considerations we may
is
^tsna&sr to sr^V «*
for thingsTK^kS688 rftam
T int£reSt in the affair"
Ur h metown or
It may be recalled tti th i
K ° 1 °
homeland,
S
n
C ndition that
subject w^onL treated in THI
V^ ° ^ °
SYRIAN WORLD by A Halim
T "*"?* d°CS n0t adversely
writing under the ruti^The f
°\
^ public welSage of Washington Strelt'' QZ ? ^"S" °U1" dUty t0
firSt In
Such a discussion wa bound io th
I ^f
find ourselve
find its way finallvTnto n„Kl
'
s in hearty
agreement with
print in the A abic Dress I
the stand taken
i 7fe Mission^fThFs^i^W^
5
rpuu
.
y AMEEN RIHANI
c
THE new Syrian generation can not read Arabic, and its
moth" Tnded^1°»1-lud- little or nothing about th
motner land. Here then ,s the mission of THE SYRIAN
WORLD. Its editor was the first to realize the necessity of
ana understand, the knowledge that is lacking in their edu
that 8 es hm more
-E££ZlSr
l makes them
tit-co,^
k , / that
ana sell respect, the knowledge
better citi e"
zens productive and creative in every walk of fife£
knowledge,, in a word, that will save them as Syrians' and
ennoble them the more as Americans. THE SVRLTK WOR D
IS indispensable to the new Syrian generation
D
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Political Developments in Syria
SITUATION IN DAMASCUS
REMAINS UNCHANGED
These must be exceedingly trying
times for the Syrian Nationalists
who are eager to find a solution of
their present political difficulties and
find
their way
blocked
by
the vacillating policy of the French
High Commissioner and the equally
changing attitude of the French Foreign Office. The latest solution proposed by M. Ponsot proved utterly
unacceptable, and although the
League of Nations upheld the French
in their execution of the mandate,
High Commissioner Ponsot is said
to be tarrying in Paris for the purpose of devising another scheme designed to placate the Nationalists by
providing an acceptable settlement
of the country's difficulties. As usual,
however, the nature of this new solution remains a sealed secret and
only when the taciturn Ponsot
choses his time and place to divulge
it will it become known.
The latest reports from Beirut
would set the date of M. Ponsot's
return to Syria about October first.
He is said to have attended the
meeting of the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations at
Geneva where he defended his policy
in dividing the country into several
administrative units and then returned to Paris to take up with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs the
question of devising a new plan for
the mandated territory. Some Syrian
papers guardedly publish the rumor
that such an arrangement has been
reached and that already orders have
been issued to officials in Syria to
prepare the necessary machinery for
putting the new plan in operation.
The rumor went so far as to infer
that immediately upon the return of
the High Commissioner popular
elections will be held on an acceptable basis yet to be defined.
What would seem to bear out this
contention is that President Tajeddin
of Syria undertook a tour of the
principal populous centers of the
country proceeding as far north as
Aleppo. The Nationalists attempted
to place every impediment in his way
and it is claimed that the apathy
with which he was met was counteracted only by the appearance of paid
demonstrators. Some opposition papers even made so bold as to accuse
Tajeddin and his administration of
using treasury funds for hiring the
men who staged the pseudo public .
demonstration.
Further accusations represent the
Tajeddin government as resorting to
unfair and unconstitutional means to
suppress the lawful activities of his
opponents. Al-Ahrar, a liberal paper
of Beirut whose editor is Minister
of Public Instruction in the Lebanese
government, was proscribed from
entry to Damascus by President
Tajeddin, and when the French authorities set aside this decree Sheikh
Tajeddin confiscated issues of the
paper offered for sale.
The Nationalists, on the other
hand, seem to be still marking time.
Their principal grievance would seem
to be directed against the continuation in power of the government of
Sheikh Tajeddin, which fact, they
claim, bars all possibility of understanding with the French. The Nationalists are also said to be planning a general convention to define
�OCTOBER, 1930
their stand and prepare for whatever action might be necessitated
upon the return of the High Commissioner.
FRANCE, ITALY AND
THE SYRIAN MANDATE
43
England which has had its hands
full in carrying out its own mandates
and seeks to divert public attention
at home from its own failure by
creating complications for others.
Otherwise^ argues the French paper,
how are we to account for the publication of the latest rumors concerning France's intention to relinquish its Syrian mandate simultaneously in London and in Beirut? Besides the publisher of Al-Nada, the
Syrian paper which first gave publicity to the rumors, is a Druze, a
people whom the English have befriended and protected to counterbalance the influence of the French
with the Maronites. But, concludes
the French paper, this latest manoeuvre has failed to bring to England
the relief it expected in easing its
own critical position in its mandated
territories.
Although repeated denials have
been issued by all parties concerned,
the rumors bearing on Italy's intrigues to secure the mandate over
Syria and Lebanon through the support of the Maronites still persist.
The indirect denial by the Maronite
Patriarch issued through the Catholic paper Al-Bachir was followed by
a signed statement of the Patriarch
categorically branding all rumors of
political designs of some European
powers through him or any of his
bishops as false. As a further gestEconomic conditions in Lebanon
ure of amity and understanding between the Patriarch and the Papal remain acute. The shortage of crops
Nuncio in Lebanon, the latter made resulting from the locust invasion
an extended visit to North Lebanon and the general depression in the
and spent several days as a guest of prices of all native products, printhe Patriarch. Some papers would cipally silk, together with the deattribute the origin of these rumors pendence of the country on importato the reckless enterprise of a new- tions^ have all combined to aggracomer in the newspaper field who vate the situation. Added to this is
sought this sensational means of the poorness of the summer season
launching on his career as a means which this year attracted only about
six thousand to the country. It is the
of attracting attention.
In spite of these denials, the in- opinion of many observers, openly
cident seems to have been taken expressed, that had it not been for
seriously by a number of French pa- emigrant remittances Lebanon would
pers who would accuse Mussolini of be reduced to a condition bordering
sustained political ambitions
in
on famine.
Syria. Nor do they absolve England
of blame in secretly fomenting
An extra session of the Repretrouble in the country to harass the sentative Assembly has been called
French. Le Journal of Paris, comfor September 15, and already it is
menting on the situation, asserts
that France is determined not to rumored preparations are under way
relinquish its Syrian mandate, and to bring about the downfall of the
that the recurring rumors to the cabinet. How else could politicians
contrary are chiefly the work of give vent to their pent-up energies?
�44
MOSLEMS AND CHRISTIANS
QUARREL IN PALESTINE
Press dispatches from Palestine
have stressed lately certain differences arising between Christians and
Moslems which led to murders and
reprisals. While these incidents
tending to disrupt the unity of the
Palestine Arabs may be considered
important as news material, there
are graver happenings now taking
place in the country on which dispatches maintain a mysterious silence. Some reporters or news agencies must have a nose for news only
in certain directions.
What may be rightly termed the
most important recent development
in Palestine is the effort of the British police to evict the Arab tenants
of Wadi El Hawareth from their
homes and lands. The case of these
lands has been hanging for several
years but has now come to a head
through the determination of the
government to use forcible methods
of eviction. Early in September an
armed force sent to this valley had
an encounter with the settlers and
is said to have used force without
sufficient provocation. The principal
cause of complaint is that the British police wounded several Arab
women so severely as to necessitate
hospital treatment, and in arresting
them manhandled and manacled them.
The Arab press was indignant at
what it termed undue cruelty on the
part of the police in their treatment of the Arab women defending
their hearths and an Arab paper
was suppressed for its criticism. This
case 'has in it all the tragic elements
of the land problem in Palestine,
where the tenant farmers find themselves subject to eviction through the
purchase by Jewish interests of their
land from absentee landlords, while
they, the tenants, apparently have
THE SYRIAN WORLD
no recourse to redress. The Shaw
Commisson of Inquiry realized the
importance of the Wadi El Hawareth situation and reviewed it fully
in its report. We copy from the
English edition of Falastin (Jaffa)
the text of the Commission's report
on this case in view of its intrinsic
importance and its possible bearing
on future events. It follows:
"The second case to which we will
refer is the recent purchase of the
land known as Wadi el-Hawareth.
We do so because the sale of this
land was made the subject of many
protests addressed to us during our
stay in Palestine and because this
transaction serves to illustrate the
extremely difficult position in which
the Government of Palestine are
liable to be placed. The lands in question which belonged to Arabs were
mortgaged in 1882 to a French subject. Between 1882 and 1923 there
were two transfers of the mortgage
without the consent of the mortgager. After legislation in the course of
which the validity of the mortgage
was disputed judgment was given in
favor of the heirs of the mortgager
and an order for sale was duly made.
"The area offered for sale was
30,826 dunoms and the Jewish National Fund purchased the property
for £41,000. The land was registered
in its name on the 27th of May,
1929. The persons occupying the
lands which have been sold number
about 1,200 and own between two
and three thousand head of stock,
about a third of the land is used for
grazing purposes; among the crops
grown on the remaining areas are
melons and the tithes paid in the
"Among the persons now occupying the land are actual cultivators
who received in August, 1928, notice
to quit expiring on the last October,
year 1928 indicate that the crop was
worth at least £7,000.
�OCTOBER, 1930
1929. On the 30th of November, 1929,
an order of eviction was made
against a large proportion of the occupiers. At the time when we left
Palestine, we understood that the
police had not executed the order of
eviction and that the reason for
their failure to do so was that they
did not know of any locality to
which they could move the present
occupants and their flocks. We were
informed that this action on the
part of the police might at any time
result in proceedings for contempt
at the instance of the purchasers
who are not disposed to abandon any
of the right which they possessed
under the orders of the Courts or to
postpone the enforcement of those
rights. The purchasers have, however, offered to put approximately
5,000 dunoms of land in the Beisan
area at the condition that they are
paid one fifth of the produce of that
land. We were informed that this
land is irrigable but the present occupants of the Wadi Hawareth land
know nothing of irrigation and that
furthermore the Beisan lands contain
no grazing area. When we left Palestine no State or other land had
been discovered to which the persons
to be evicted could be transferred.
^ "It is noteworthy that both the
Sursock land and the Wadi-elHawareth lands were the property
of absentee landlords and in their
absence were being cultivated by
persons who paid as rent a percentage of the produce yielded by their
holdings. The sale of lands over the
heads of occupant tenants and the
consequent dispossession of those
tenants with or without compensation is not peculiar to Palestine but
the position there is complicated by
two factors which can seldom obtain
elsewhere. In the first place the dispossessed tenant in Palestine is unlikely to be able to find alternative
land to Which he can remove. Secondly, in some cases, the cultivators
who were or may be dispossessed
have a strong moral claim to be allowed to continue in occupation of
their present holding. Under the
Turkish regime, especially in the
latter half of the eighteenth century,
persons of the peasant classes in
some parts of the Ottoman Empire,
including the territory now known
as Palestine found that by admitting
the over-lordship of the Sultan or of
some member of the Turkish aristocracy, they could obtain protection
against extortion and other material
benefits which counter-balanced the
tribute demanded by their over-lord
as a return for his protection. Accordingly many peasant cultivators
at that time either willingly entered
into an arrangement of this character or finding that it was imposed
upon them, submitted to it. By these
means persons of importance and
position in the Ottoman Empire acquired the legal title to large tracts
of land which for generations and in
some cases for centuries had been in
the undisturbed and undisputed occupation of peasants who, though by
the new arrangement they surrendered their prescriptive rights over
the land which they had cultivated
had undoubtedly a strong moral
claim to be allowed to continue in
occupation of those lands."
In commenting on this report, Falastin lays stress on the findings of
the Commission that the occupant
tenants have a strong moral claim in
view of the peculiar conditions obtaining in Palestine which can be
found nowhere else and therefore
constitute a unique problem. It justifies the resistance of the Arabs on
these grounds. The paper further
sees in the incident a cause for increased estrangement between Arabs
and Jews. The action of the police it
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
brands as "very untactful and most ORIGIN OF RELIGIOUS
STRIFE IN PALESTINE
brutal... The feelings of the Arab
world (in the matter) are best left
The incident leading to the presunwritten. The incident will not ent condition of religious strife bemake them any kinder to the Jews tween Christians and Moslems in
Palestine had its origin in a controor grateful to the British."
Another cause of apprehension in versy over the ownership of a cemethe Palestine situation is the tension tery in Haifa.
Al-Bachir, the Jesuit organ of
created between Christians and Moslems as a result of the murder of a Beirut, reports that during the war
Christian editor in Haifa over the a cemetery belonging to the Greek
ownership of a cemetery. A Moslem Catholics was used by the Moslems
in Jaffa is said to have been mur- as a burial ground. Because of this
dered in reprisal, giving rise to fear fact the custodian of the Moslem
that the movement will spread to religious foundations sought to apother sections of the country. Joseph propriate the cemetery and exclude
M. Ley special correspondent of the Christians from any right to it.
the New York Times in Jerusalem, The difference was finally settled by
reports that the Grand Mufti, relig- the agreement of both factions to
ious head of the Moslems, has de- use it jointly.
Within the cemetery enclosure
cided to go in person to Haifa "to
meet some Christian religious digni- there had been at one time a group
taries with the purpose of attempt- of huts in which lived some Christing to find a way of opposing Mgr. ians of the poorer class. These huts
Hajjar, Catholic Bishop of Haifa, were burned not long ago by willful
who insists on going on with the persons whose identity remained untrial against Rashid Haj Ibrahim, known. The Greek Catholic bishop,
the Grand Mufti's representative in Mgr. Gregory Hajjar*, having decided
Haifa, who is sti'l incarcerated in to rebuild the huts sent a gang of
the Acre Fortress prison on a charge workmen to undertake the work and
of murdering the Christian Arab placed in charge one of his trustees,
newspaper editor" who is of Mgr. Jamil Bahry, editor of the Arabic
publication Az-Zuhoor. No sooner
Hajjar's denomination.
The Times' correspondent further the workmen started work than they
reports that the Christian Arab pa- were set upon by a group of Moslems
per Falastin charges the Zionists of who attacked with knives, sticks
"paying large sums of money to and stones. In the fighting three
both Christians and Moslems for the Christians were wounded, including
express purpose of bringing about the editor whose wounds proved
enmity and quarrels between them." fatal.
The incident being the outcome of
The same correspondent also rereligious
differences, the feeling of
ports that a large number of Chvistthe
Christians
became extremely
ian Arabs, who since the British occupation of Palestine have taken to tense and the murdered editor was
wearing hats, are now again donning given a public funeral in which all
the fez for self-protection and in or- traditions among the Christians
der to escape the notice of Moslem were broken, being attended not only
fanatics. Many Christians in Jaffa by the representatives of the Cathohave also applied to the government lic churches but also by those of the
Orthodox and the Protestants.
for permits to carry firearms.
�OCTOBER, 1930 .
47
About Syria and Syrian:
SYRAMAR GOLF CLUB
HOLDS TOURNAMENT
other golf veteran and close friend of
the champion. Mr. Ferris has to win
the championship laurels still anothThe Syramar Golf Club of New er time to gain permanent possesYork held its fourth annual tourna- sion of the coveted. Syramar trophy
ment at the Wolf Ho'low Golf course
consisting of a solid silver platter.
at Delaware Water Gap on Saturday . The CIub> however,
was not sparand Sunday, September 6 and 7
ing m its distribution of prizes. Both
Members and their friends turned
the champion and the runner-up reout in large numbers, and the en- ceived valuable mementoes, as well
thusiasm for the game was as pro- as the winners of the qualifying
nounced as the delight of the large
matches. The Club's policy is to fos
gathering over the opportunitv ter love of this healthy and digniwhich brought so many friends to- hed game among the Syrians and
gether under ideal conditions. From
its efforts are meeting with gratifyevery point of view the tournament
ing results. Already the sport is findproved a complete success.
ing increasing favor among our
Saturday and Sunday morning people as proven by the steadily
were devoted to qualifying matches growmg membership of the club.
and the championship contest was
As an integral part of the tournaPlayed between George A. Ferris and ment a brilliant social function was
George Aboarab. It was a hard- held at the club following the Sunfought game which was decided only day game. President Henry Haddad
at the 20th hole. After having taken proved himself a resourceful and enthe lead early in the game Mr Fer- tertaining chairman. Mr. George A
ns found himse'f in the uncomfort- Ferris dean of Syrian lawyers in
able station of two down and two New York and one of the founders
to go on the 17th tee. But his cham- of the organization, was assigned
pionship mettle began to te'l and by the duty of distributing the prizes
winning the two remaining holes he following the unbroken tradition
succeeded in squaring the match. ot the club ever since its foundation.
The 19th was halved with fives and Salloum A. Mokarzel, editor of the
only on the 20th was the issue deSyrian World and the only honorary
cided when Mr. Ferris emerged vic- member of Syramar, was also a
tor by 4 to 5.
speaker.
'The Syramar Golf Club is one of
One of the surprising features of
the contest was the form disriaypd the few Syrian organizations in
by Mr. Aboarab, a youth who has which the growth of enthusiasm
taken up golf only within the last seems to keep pace with the advance
two years, but has devoted much in years. Its membership is increasing steadily and every year witnesses
time to practice.
improvement in its tournaments and
Mr. FernVs victory marks his
attending
functions.
The name
third of the Syramar annual chamstands
for
Syrian-American
and thpionship contests, the fourth having
fallen to the lot of Mr. Mallouf, an- abbreviation and contraption are
designed for euphony.
�SYRAMAR GOLF CLUB OF NEW YORK
Co
R
o
p
_
,—..
�OCTOBER, 1930
49
Henry Haddad (left) presenting Syramar championship trophy to Geo
A. Ferris (center). George Aboara b, the runner-up (right) looks on
cheerfully.
ARAB INFLUENCE IN
ARGENTINE POLITICS
Aside from the general interest
they should have in the Argentine
revolt as a major world event, the
Syrians should have an especial interest in the historical background
of Argentine politics culminating in
the late developments because of
their immediate associations with
Arab influence. The revelations of
the true causes leading to the deposition of President Irigoyen are
of a startling nature, especially
when viewed in the light of the long
struggle going on for decades among
the different classes of the population. The causes for this long-drawn
struggle are laid at the door of certain inherited traits and customs of
one section of the population which
was invaluable at one time for the
protection of the country but has
now apparently outlived its usefulness.
Had a Syrian or Arab writer laid
claim at any time to the Arabs
exercising such great influence in the
political and social order of a new
and progressive country in the New
World such as the Argentine Republic, his claim would have been branded as preposterous. Immediately the
accusation would be made that we
would want to claim everything for
the Arabs, the Phoenicians, and other
Eastern peoples. Present tendencies
are to break away as much as possible from old influences and above
all, to claim all credit of human
progress for the so-called Nordic influence instead of the Eastern.
Especially is this true in the case of
America where the cosmopolitan nature of the population brings the
controversy over the relative racial
virtues to an acute point.
�mm
50
In the present case the Arabs are
net advancing any claim for influence. They are accused of having it.
Press dispatches from the capital of
Argentina early last month gave
lengthy descriptions of conditions
leading to the revolt, ascribed to
Arab influence. That this influence
did not prevail till the end is not
the question as much as its having
existed and lasted for so long a time
i:i the history of Argentina, and havi: g been so strong as to be the cause
for the safety of the country while
it lasted.
A staff correspondent of the New
lork Times writing from Buenos
Aires under date of September 7
fives the following account of the
causes leading to the downfall of
1 resident Irigoyen:
'The downfall of Dr. Irigoyen
d-finitely marks a new era in Argentine his.ory in an even more romantic sense, for it means the passirg frcm history of the o d caudil os
(petty chieftains), who were a prodvet of gaucho civilization o.i the
pEmpas. Argentina owes its very existence to these gauchos who were
v .1 j nomad horsemen, whose fathers
Landed down to them the Moorish
blcod they brought from Spain in the
d:ys of the conquest and whose
mo hers were South American Indians.
"The gauchos retained many characteristics of their Arabian ancestors who had overrun Spain and lh:y
formed a barrier between the tiny
outposts of civilization and the wild
Indians of Pampas, who until the
late 80s resisted Argentina's efforts
to establish herself as a nation. The
gauchos were arrogant individualists, receiving and asking no 'help
from the town authorities.
"The gaucho who was the best
horseman, the quickest with his knife
and the most arrogant in his dea!-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ings with his fellow-men became recognized as a caudillo (petty chieftain), under whose leadership the
gauchos formed when danger threatened them. These caudillos led the
numerous civil wars which for so
many years retarded Argentine
rrogress until another gaucho caudil o, Juan Manuel de Rosas set
himse f up as dictator and ruthlessly
wiped out all other caudillos who opposed him, thus paving the way for
organized government in Argentina.
"Dr. Irigoyen is the last of the
caudillos. Although he is a town
man rather than a gaucho, he is one
of the most characteristic caudillos
in Argentina's history. His leadership has always been arrogant and
personal. The Radical party has never had a platform. It was organized
around Dr. Irigoyen as its personal
leader and his word was the party's
law."
SYRIAN HISTORIAN
OF SOUTHERN LEADERS
A young Syrian who is attracting
much attention in the South as a historian and scholar is Mr. John E.
Hobeika of Dillon S. C. His efforts
are appreciated not alone because he
was born a foreigner, but because
they show genuine merits which
have elicited the highest praise from
noted Southern scholars. "His tribute to the Confederate Soldier," according to an editorial in the Charlotte Observer, "was regarded as
worthy of being printed in pamph'et form and is given introduction
by Dr. Oliver Orr who feels that
God has called forth this student,
writer, historian and Christian gentleman." The paper itself adds its
tribute by terming the work of Mr.
Hobeika 'one of the finest pieces of
literature ever contributed to the
�OCTOBER, 1930
.
51
history of the South."
ed with the Egyptian National AnWe gather from the wealth of them, followed by selections from
material about this young Syrian Puccini given by Miss Margaret
historian published in many South- Romaine of the Metropolitan Opera
ern papers that he has had a re- Company. Prince Muhiuddin played
markable scholastic career. Having the 'cello, and Miss Ruth St. Denis
come to the United States with his gave an exhibition of the Directoire
parents at the age of 10 in 1912 and Waltz assisted by Mr. Ted Shawn.
settled in Dillon, S. C. he entered the Mr. Rafa"elo Diaz, also of the Metropublic schools and joined the class of politan Company, gave several
Miss Laura Heath whose love of the selections. The reception was brought
days and the "gentlemen of the old to a close with the playing of the
school" was contagious to young American and Egyptian National
Hobeika and prompted him to spec- Anthems.
ialize in the study of Southern hisThe exceptional quality of the protory. He developed a great admira- gramme as well as the distinguished
tion for General Lee and has visited attendance, over two hundred guests
every place in the country connected drawn from the exclusive circles of
with the Confederate commander. the city, lent the occasion an air of
He has collected a library of Gen. dignity and refinement.
Lee which is said to be unequalled
in America, and he has drawn on
this wealth of material, some of
which has hitherto been little known, MOSLEMS IN AMERICA
to write a biography of the General
ISSUE A PUBLICATION
Which will be published by a New
York firm this fall. He also has under preparation biographies of many Also Establish a Mosque and a Misother Southern leaders.
sionary Center in Chicago.
RECEPTION IN HONOR
OF KING OF EGYPT
His Excellency Anis A. Raphael,
Royal consul of Egypt in New York,
gave a reception at the Hotel Ambassador on October 9th in honor of
the anniversary of the accession of
His Majesty King Fuad I of Egypt.
The reception hall was elaborately
decorated for the occasion, and a
portrait of the King surmounted by
a multicolored electric crown was
displayed between the American and
Egyptian flags. The staff of the
Egyptian Consulate all donning the
tarboush, assisted at receiving the
guests.
The musical programme was open-
....
- ...
The disciples of Islam are aggressively conducting missionary efforts
in America, but with what success
it is not yet possible to tell. The
Moslem Sunrise, a 24-page quarterly
in English published in Chicago and
edited by Sufi M. R. Bengalee gives
an account of the various missionary
activities conducted by the Moslems
in the city and vicinity. The missionaries belong to the Ahmadiyya
sect founded by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of India who died in
1908. He is styled by his disciples
the "Promised Messiah and Mahdi
and the expected Messenger of all
nations."
These Moslem missionary activities are commented upon by many
Chicago newspapers, the Daily News
�—fc
52
publishing the following interesting
account:
"The first mosque devoted to the
religion of Islam opened its services
in the Auditorium Building on Wabash Avenue. * * * Dr. Bengalee is
the Chicago missionary preacher of
what is declared to be a new form
of the Islamic faith, which goes
back to the original form of the
religion as preached by the Prophet
Muhammad. Among the interesting
theories set up by Dr. Bengalee is
that Christ did not die on the cross,
but lived to a venerable age in northern India and the Ahmadiyya movement, as its missionary terms it,
holds that Christ is another of the
great prophets, but not divine."
Another Chicago paper quotes the
leader of this new Moslem movement
as "stressing particularly the nonviolent feature of the Islamic faith,
contrasting it with our Western
Christianity which, though essentially non-violent employs force in
its nationalism."
The Moslem Sunrise is sold for
25c a copy, but the publisher makes
an ardent appeal for "generous contributions.... that the light and
lustre of Islam may be shed through
this magazine throughout the length
and breadth of this country particularly and all over the world."
SYRIAN AVIATRIX MAY
VISIT NEW YORK
Al-Hoda of New York, reports on
the authority of Mr. Ed. Jallad,
President of the newly formed PanArabian Pictures, Ltd., now visiting
in the city that Mrs. Afifa Maloof of
Zahle, a resident of Rodondo, Cali
fornia, has won her pilot's licens;
and may soon attempt a non-sto{
transcontinental flight to New York
She has ordered a new plane for the
purpose.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
MODERN AGRICULTURE
INVADES NEAR EAST
Sons of Wealthy Landowners Learn
to Operate Farm Machinery.
Efficiency and culture are coming
to count for more than birth among
the wealthy noble families of the interior of Western Asia where feudalism has existed for many centuries,
according to President Bayard Dodge
of the American University of Beirut.
In the sixty-fourth annual report
for this American University in
Syria, President Dodge states that
"heretofore the sons of great landlords have inherited power and, regardless of education, they have exploited their peasants by forceful
measures.
"Today the new governments are
taxing landed proprietors so heavily,
that they cannot maintain their positions, unless they have had the advantages of modern education. Efficiency and culture are coming to
count for more than birth.
"Accordingly, many noble families are sending their sons to the
University and there is a rare opportunity to train the young aristocrats to appreciate democratic adjustments.
"Instead of idling away his time
and exploiting his many villages one
graduate is studying agriculture and
striving to improve the conditions of
his peasantry. Another spent a whole
summer in overalls learning to manage farm machinery so as to be able
to build up his family estates.
"University men who honor work
and feel a responsibility for their
tenants, form a great contrast to the
untrained sons of a decadent aristocracy who are losing ground before the advance of a, new order of
things.
�OCTOBER, 1930
oun
53
n who iack mod
idZ
tr
*
ideas seek low paid positions in government offices and business houses
and lack initiative to make any conland
t0 thC deVel
°Pment of their
"Many graduates of the American
University are building Up depart
sirs se]iT A «~-
. ooiies and Popularizing wMt(lm
novations. Several have fould for
eisn markets so as to reviwaffa
"The University is endeavoring to
teach men how to undertake new en- ulnf e/roTing-Last *«" two g a
rad
ter-prises and to apply scientific
n
t0
ev°era i former
/o 2" students
^startpH
^
processes to industrial work. One an u several
graduate has mastered the fruit pre- selhng automobile insurance int^
One alumnus has developed a flour
serving business in Dublin and is
ȣ* m4ustry tor the sale and eXstarting a new industry 0f his own.
Several young men have been
specializing in chemistry so as to be
--er resort oAheLal^:
able to aid their fathers with soap
manufacture and leather tanning
Students are choosing maior
Numerous graduates have studied courses which will fit them for partT
engineering and are successful in
construction work.
tion of their communities. Among
"Before the Armistice business
the junior and senior classes leTave
decided to major in biology and aZ
a ried
a Very
way
T he merchant
°l " used to *«
way. The
sit in»1
a
culture, 12 in chemistryfe in econo
shop which was small because he "»cs 44 are taking advanced work
kept most of his goods in a nearby m Commerce and 24 mechanics and
and
engineering."
warehouse. He bargained over prices
S rt
f
Way
se
d
off*tT
^ ° ° customers,
' kept
coffee
to prominent
the simplest sort of books and male
no effort to advertise. Corporals
were unknown and successful partnerships comparatively rare. Technical experts usually came from
FREE ENGLISH CLASSES
AT BROOKLYN Y. W. C. A.
abroad and progressive methods o"
commerce and industry were seldom
street, offers an opportunity to girls
and
Wom
f gyrian ^l ^ &*
The International Institute of the
entage to learn English, to meet
"Today a change is taking place
others of their own nationality and
Shops are becoming modernized
with show windows and well arrangubs
^ " SOdal Hfe' -eluding
dubs
parties
and other recreation
ed counters. Advertising is popular
The English classes will meet
and good book-keepers are in de"
every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30
mand. Local capital is being invested
P. M. There will a]So be Wednesday
to form new banks, cloth mills cement factories, mechanical flour comern00;>,ClaSS f°r th°Se Wh0 c«
come m the evening. It will meet at
mills, soap works, potteries tourist two o'clock.
companies and agencies of other
The homelike rooms of the Instisorts. There is a definite attempt to tute
are aiwavs avai,able for go
pool native resources so as to compete with Western industry along gatherings of every sort. Call Miss
Bah,a Hajjar, Main 4163, for further
modern lines.
information.
�BRM
54
LEBANESE DECORATIONS
CONFERRED ON EMIGRANTS
Controversy Over Award Arises
Before Official Notification.
Lebanese papers of Beirut made an
advance announcement of the intention of the Lebanese government to
confer decorations of merit on prominent Lebanese emigrants abroad on
the occasion of Lebanon's Independence Day which falls on Saptember
1. President Charles Dabbas is said
to have offered the suggestion and
instructed the Premier to prepare a
list of prominent Lebanese abroad
who deserve to be so honored. Press
reports indicate that the list will be
very broad, comprising scores of
Lebanese all over the world in all
walks of life.
The tentative list, according to the
Beirut papers, includes Mr. N. A.
Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda, and
Elia D. Mady editor of As-Sameer,
both of New York. The award to Mr.
Mady, however, was made on the
ground that he was the editor-inchief of Meraat-Ul-Gharb of New
York and son-in-law of its publisher,
Mr. N. M. Diab.
In its characteristically fearless
manner, Al-Hoda was the first to
take up the discussion of the propriety of the awards. Mr. Mokarzel
reminded the Syrian-American public of his consistent policy of refusing all decorations and other honors
from foreign governments, a policy
he announced when he refused the
decoration of the French Legion
d'honneur several years ago. His
criticism of the Lebanese government, therefore, should not be misconstrued as prompted by any personal motives because of his disap-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
proval of conferring the honor on
other individuals.
Taking up the choice of Mr. Mady,
the editor of Al-Hoda points out
that he (Mady) was never loyal to
the cause of Lebanon, but rather
gave aid and comfort to its enemies
and sided with them in all political
controversies arising on Lebanese
questions. Under the circumstances
Al Hoda questioned the wisdom and
tact of the Lebanese government in
making promiscuous awards of its
decorations, granting that early reports on the subject were true.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb was not slow in
engaging in the controversy in defense of its own prestige, Mr. Diab
the editor, declaring that never in
the history of his pub'.ication had
anyone but he been its editor-inchief. He was not seeking the decoration for himself, he asserted, but
no other should be the recipient of
it under false pretense.
This drew the fire of Mr. Mady
who, in a long article published
simultaneously in several papers,
centered his attack on Meraat-UlGharb, the publication of his fatherin-law, and reminded the public of the
fact that he had won his literary
laurels before he joined the staff of
any paper. That he should be given
credit for the excellence of his
work, although published anonymously, is through no fault of his own,
he declared. He would not commit
himself as to whether or not he
would accept the decoration.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese government still seems to be having the list
of those whom it wants to honor
under advisement, no official announcement having yet been made on
the subject. It would seem from present indications that its promiscuous
distribution of decorations seemingly
without regard to signal services is
defeating its purpose.
�-
OCTOBER, 1930
MOSUL OIL AFFECTS
FUTURE OF SYRIA
Controversy Between France and
England Over Terminus of Pipe
Line Said to Have Been Settled.
The long-drawn controversy between France and England over the
Ua: sportation of Mosul oil has been
tentatively settled, according to information which Al-Ahrar, of Beirut, claims to be authentic.
The stumbling block in the way
of a settlement had been the insi3trnee of England on making Haifa,
the newly developed port of Palestine which is under British mandate,
the terminus of the Mosul Oil pipe
line, while France maintained that
the natural terminus would be the
port of Tripoli, in the territory
within its own mandate. The British
plan is said not only to extend the
line for hundreds of miles, involving
enormous extra expenses, but to
rlace it in territory continually exposed to attacks by bedouins. These
two features are eliminated if the
French plan were carried out.
England having consistently been
unwilling to swerve from its stand,
the new arrangement said to have
been arrived at is to create a central distributing station at Abu Kama! situated about midway between
L osul and the coast outside the boundaries of the mandated territories.
1 rom this point on, two separate
pipe lines would be constructed, one
carrying the French portion of the
oil and terminating at Tripoli and
the other ending at Haifa. *
Another element entering into the
Mosul oil situation is reported by a
special cable dispatch to the New
York Times from Paris under date
of Sept. 29 to have developed recently The dispatch is illuminating and
55
deals with this new aspect of the
controversy in detail. It follows:
The approaching weeks are expected to witness a denouement in
one of the most important international oil controversies which has dsve'oped since the close of the WorlJ
War. The stakes are tfea rich and as
yet unexploited oil fields of Iraq,
and the contestants are the present
ho'ders of an exclusive concession—
the principal oil groups of Great
Britain, the United States anJ Fra.ice, the Royal Butch of Holland a.id
the Gulbenkian Armenian group- and an entirely new international
oil group in which the guiding genius is understood to be Benko Mussolini.
The issue involves the question of
whether the present concessionaires,
by their undertaking with King Feisal of Iraq did not agree to a somewhat stringent time clause committing them to proceed with the exploitation of their fields before November 1, 1930 under penalty of
losing their concessions to new and
more active groups.
The so-called allied concession
holders maintain that no such limitation was placed upon their contracts
and that the present world oil crisis,
due to overproduction, is ample reason for proceeding slowly with a
program of development of the
fields, the chief item of which is the
construction of a pipe line from Iraq
to a Mediterranean port at a cost
estimated at $800 000,000.
King Feisal, who is eager to obtain the largely increased State revenues which active exploitation of the
fields wTould insure, recently visited
European capitals with a view to
bringing the issue to a conclusive
stage.
From the Italians, it is believed,
he received promises of financial as
well as political support for his new
�_J
56
State, provided he agreed to turn
the Iraqui concession over to the
new group known as the British
Oil Development Company, but in
which Italian capital and influence
are said to be dominant.
SYRIAN VICTIMS OF
DOMINICAN DISASTER
The hurricane which struck the
city of Santo Domingo September 3
took a toll of four Syrian lives and
caused serious injuries to about
thirty others, according to a special
communication to Al-Hoda from the
stricken city.
The victims are: Thomassa, wife
of Khalil Saadie of Ehden and her
twenty-five-year old son;
Maria
Zaiter, 45, of Ghazir; Carmehista
Dibs 13, of Ghazir.
The more seriously injured are
George Dibs, Emilia Zaiter and Enhel Zaiter.
The Syrians' loss in property and
merchandise was heavy, and their
lot was no better than the thousands
of others who were left destitute by
the terrible disaster.
Al-Hoda opened a subscription for
the relief of Santo Dominican sufferers and has so far raised considerable funds which it has turned over
to the Dominican Consulate in New
York which acknowledged their receipt with profuse thanks for this
display of generosity on the part of
the Syrians.
SYRIAN GIRL WINS FIRST
PLACE IN AUDITION
(Special correspondence)
Shreveport, La., Sept. 27.—Miss
Olga Maroun of this city, a Syrian
girl who is studying voice for an
opera career, won first place in the
?HE SYRIAN WORLD
girls' class in the District of Louisiana Atwater Kent Radio Audition
held Sept. 19 and 20 in Shreveport
and broadcast over Station KTBS.
She will represent the fourth district of Louisiana at New Orleans
where she will compete for State
honors. She competed against girls
from six parishes, and received high
praise from the local papers.
The parents of Miss Maroun are
Mr. and Mrs. Najeeb Joseph Maroun
of Amcheet, Mt. Lebanon, Syria.
PUBLIC MORALS IN
NORTHERN LEBANON
When two couples living together
without the benefit of clergy in Ehden, Northern Lebanon, refused to
mend their ways or leave the town,
a visiting bishop publicly denounced
them from the pulpit during the
Sunday services and served on them
final notice to leave.
This did not take place in the Middle Ages, but during.the latter part
of August of the year of our Lord
Nineteen-Thirty. And an enterprising reporter of a Lebanese paper did
not hesitate to give it full publicity.
It was explained that the two
couples involved were not natives of
the town, but came to it as summer
residents. Nevertheless, the high
sense of morality of the North Lebanese would not tolerate any such
conduct, and the public warning of
the bishop met with general and
whole-hearted approval.
Nor did the explanation of the two
couples satisfy or appease the natives. The offenders attempted to
prove that the wives of the men
and the husbands of the women had
migrated to America and (had not
been heard from over a long period.
It was natural for them, therefore,
to enter into this union for mutual
I!
�OCTOBER, 1930
comfort and support. But instead of
living: together as common-law husbands and wives they were married
by a clergyman whose church placed
no bans on such unions.
This is held out as proof positive
that the evils of moral laxity characteristic of the times has not yet infiltrated into the sequestered parts
of North Lebanon.
57
tial contributor to the educational
development of all the surrounding
country. Her progress has been the
result of admirable policies followed
in its direction and she has merited
the large patronage she receives today and the prominent position held
in the cultural work of- this part of
the country. Each day has seen her
service become of more essential
value and today she is indispensable
to the community."
SYRIAN MUSIC TEACHER
PRAISED FOR ABILITY
Miss Louise Yazbeck, whose distinctive musical attainments were
recognized by the city of Shreveport,
La. when the authorities appointed
her director of Musical Week in the
city, as previously announced in The
Syrian World, has been making rapid
progress in her musical career. She
has lately opened a new studio in
the fashionable suburb of Broadmoore, while retaining her original
studio in the heart of the city.
A musical critic, giving an appraisal of Miss Yazbeck's musical
ability, wrote the following glowing
account in one of the local papers:
"As the purpose of this review is
to give the outside world an adequate
idea of our social, industrial, artistic
and educational progress we deem it
quite appropriate to call the attention of the public to the efficiency
and great work that is being carried
on by Miss Louise Yazbeck.
"Miss Yazbeck understands both
the art of music as well as the art
of teaching. She puts all her energy
and soul into the music and is able
to impart to her pupils both the technique and the spirit of each selection.
She takes an interest in each pupil
and gives them individual attention
and has them specialize in music
that is adapted for their talents.
"Miss Louise Yazbeck is an essen-
LEBANON UNSURPASSED
FOR NATURAL BEAUTY
Writing in the Princeton Herald
the Reverend Sylvester Woodbridge
Beach, D. D., describes the wondrous
scenery of Lebanon as follows:
"I am not exaggerating my own impressions when I say that, so far as
my travels have afforded opportunity
to enjoy the scenery in Switzerland,
the Italian Alps, Sicily's Taormina
and the Amalfi of Capri and Sorrento, Spain and the familiar bits of
scenic grandeur in Western and Central Europe, the Carpathians and
Balkans of the east and south-east;
and the majestic mountains and unparalleled geologic wonders of America—I have never found any spot on
earth where the scenery is more won derful and enchantingly picturesque
than in the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon regions of Syria. Their beauty
and glory are indescribable. My
friends on the rear cushions (of the
automobile) kept up an interminable
line of talk, interlarding it with
frequent ejaculations and exclamations as "Oh, my! Isn't that great?
It takes tne cake!" But I sat speechless, drinking in the soul and beauty
of what thereafter would be a part
of my life an element and influenca
that could never lose its magic charm
and power, wherever I might be."
�mm
MM
BOOKS BY SYRIAN AUTHORS
To recommend to Syrians the acquisition of books
in English by Syrian authors would seem superfluous,
especially when the books are such as to cause every
Syrian to feel proud of the fact that their authors are of
his countrymen. All the books listed below have been
exceptionally well received by American critics, some of
them gaining national and even international distinction.
Not alone as a matter of racial pride, but also as a valuable addition to every modern library and as an indispensable medium of wider culture all Syrian homes should
have all or most of these books.
All prices quoted include postage. •
Books by Ameen Riliani
Maker of Modern Arabia
The Path of Vision
A Chant of Mystics and Other Poems
$6.00
1.25
1.25
Books by Kahlil Gibran
Sand and Foam
Prophet—Reg
The Madman
The Forerunner
Jesus, The Son of Man
2.25
2.75
2.00
2.75
3.75
Books by Dr P. K. Hitti
As-Suyuti's Who's Who in the 15th Century (Arabic)
Pap^r Cover
Usamah, an Arab-Syrian Gentleman and
Warrior of the Crusades
Syrians in America
Syria and the Syrians (Arabic)
History of Syrian Commerce in the United
States (Arabic; Illustrated)
By S. A. MOKARZEL.
Immortality (By DR. I. G. KHEIRALLA)
m
i.
i'.
.
i
i
illi-1...
i
,t»
3.50
3.00
4.75
1.25
1.1U
3.25
1.25
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1930_10reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 05, Issue 02
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1930 October
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 5 Issue 02 of The Syrian World published October 1930. The issue begins with another piece by Rev. W. A. Mansur in which he discusses the important material and moral accomplishments of his ethnic peers in order to showcase their overall greatness. He gives an appraisal of six Syrian-American leaders in different fields in order to showcase their important achievements and imbue other Syrian-Americans with pride. Next, the editor continues to discuss traveling through the mysterious valley of Wadi'l-Karn, and briefly discussing his time in preparation to Damascus. Also about Damascus is a poem by Thomas Asa. "Ali Zaibaq" returns in this issue and the "Tragic Love of a Caliph" is also continued, before a poem by G.K. Gibran titled "On Giving and Taking." The issue concludes with a discussion led by Ameen Rihani on the mission of The Syrian World before the usual installation of the political developments in Syria this month, specifically dealing with the situation in Damascus, The Syrian Mandate, and Moslem and Christian tensions in Palestine.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1930s
Ameen Rihani
Immigration
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Palestine
Poetry-English
Religion
Reverend W.A. Mansur
Syria
Thomas Asa
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/a27c489e68056d624ea2342aed8919a9.pdf
41e935eda93c2a7200f1873d95424ec4
PDF Text
Text
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VOL. IV. No. 8.
I
APRIL, 1930.
THTi
SYRIAN WORLD
A
MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
ill
111
1
ii
1I
1
I1
1
1ft
AN INTERVIEW WITH EL-ATASSI
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
IMAGINARY SPEECH TO THE SENATE
REV. W. A. MANSUR
THE RETURN HOME (SHORT STORY)
I
LOUIS MARON
iff
FROM BEIRUT TO THE PALESTINE BORDER
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
IS
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
m
THE COPY 50c
1
I
��THE
SYRIAN WORLD
Tublished monthly by
SALLOUM
A.
THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
104 Greenwich St., New York, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single copiea 50c
Entered as second-class matter June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. IV. No. 8.
APRIL, 1930.
CONTENTS
PAGE
An Interview with El-Atassi
SALLOUM
7
A.
MOKARZEL
Helpfulness
13
KAHLIL
GIBRAN
Imaginary Speech to the Senate
REV.
W. A.
14MANSUR
Despair (Poem)
22
NAJLA SABE
Wayfarers of the Lowly Road (Poem)
PAUL DEAB
I'S
�mmm H5
CONTENTS (Continued)
The Return Home (Short Story)
Louis
24
MARON
Beethoven (Poem)
27
THOMAS ASA
From Beirut to the Palestine Border
SALLOUM
A.
28
MOKARZEL
The Syrian Laborer (Poem)
38
JONARD EGIS
Book Reviews:—
Another Notable Book by Rihani
A Useful Book
A Book on Religion
English and Arabic Manual — Revised EnglishArabic Dictionary
39
40
41
42
Editorial Comments:—
Asfuriyeh a Criterion
43
Potential Field
45
Readers* Forum
46
Political Developments in Syria
49
About Syria and Syrians
53
LAST CALL
TO THE
GREAT SYRIAN WORLD CONTEST
FOR A
FREE TRIP TO SYRIA
: :
�IN THIS ISSUE
REV. W. A. MANSUR has in defense of my people. I send
ever in his writings the element it with my prayers that my
of inspiration. No doubt our blessed Master and Saviour
readers are glad that he writes may bless it to those who read
so frequently on the different it." * * * The account of the
phases of the transitional period editor's interview with Hashem
we are now going through in Bey El-Atassi, Syrian NationAmerica. It is a period frought alist leader, should prove timewith the gravest consequences ly and enlightening at the presif not dealt with in the proper ent critical stage of Syria's remanner. Rev. Mansur is con- lations with France. * * * The
tributing considerably towards editor's travel article in this isthe creation of that proper con- sue covers his journey from
sciousness that will materially Beirut to the Palestine border,
enhance the Syrians' evaluation passing through sections of
of their sterling racial qualities. Shouf to Sidon and Jedaidat
This in turn will react to a sa- Marjioun. The latter is a modtisfactory adjustment of the el Lebanese town abounding
transition problem. In his pres- in matters of interest. * * *
ent contribution he has a Syrian The short story in this issue is
character deliver an imaginary written by a college student
speech to the United States who conceals his or her identity
Senate apropos of some deroga- behind a nom de plume. Pertory remarks made against the haps the author will be inSyrians in that body. We have duced to reveal himself or herno doubt that our readers will self upon ascertaining the pubshare with the learned clergy- lic's appreciation of the touchman the spirit that prompted ing story. * * * Our poetical
him to write it. In truth, it is contributions in this issue are
more real than imaginary. And not only numerous but of exas proof of the intense degree tremely high quality, and all
of his sincerity we quote the by Syrian-American talent.
following from his covering Many of the poets are already
letter: "Nothing that I have
known to our readers, the only
written have I cared more to
present to the readers of THE new one being Jonard Egis,
which is a nom de plume.
SYRIAN WORLD than this speech
�Great Syrian
For a FREE TRIP to
The editor of THE SYRIAN WORLD having made a trip to Syria in
the summer of 1929, which he is now describing in a series of articles in
the magazine came to realize not only the great educational and cultural
advantages of such a trip, but its unrivalled possibilities for pleasure and
recreate. In our enthusiasm for the benefits of such tours, we decided to
offer one as a prize to our readers. This is on a par with the most liberal
offers made by the b,ggest American publications, whose readers are hundreds of thousands and even millions. Needless to say that this is unpreTHEinSYRIANt0WO°mAnabiC J<TaHsm' whether * America or abroad.
THE SYRIAN WORLD, m making the great prize offer in spite of
the heavy sacrifice involved, considers that in so doing it is promoting the
cause of sympathetic understanding of the motherland. This is in keeping
W!th the main object behind the publication of the magazine. Whether tne
winner be a boy or girl, American or Syrian, the purpose would have been
served by the actual contacts established with the great scenic beauties
and places of immense historical interest in our country of origin
The proposition is unprecedented, the advantages great the condi
tions most liberal. It is surely the opportunity of a lifetime for the ambitious.
"
e
ITINERARY OF TRIP
i
66
HP
ffered by THE SYRIAN
i
WORLD takes the same route
f ., ^ I"
J°
followed by the editor in his recent trip to Syria. Passage will be Cabin
class on the luxurious steamer Providence, of the Fabre Line, sailing from
New York July 2nd. Stops on route and shore excursions will be made at
Ponta Delgada, Azores Islands; Lisbon, Portugal; Naples, Italy; Palermo
Sicily, and Piraeus and Athens, Greece.
In Syria and Lebanon, the winner may remain as long as he desires
and return on any of the Fabre Line steamers to New York also Cabin
Class.
Sailing from New York will be under the direction and full assistance
of the firm of A. K. Hitti & Co., the well-known steamship ticket agents
The Beirut Branch of the same firm will render the winner all necessary service and advice free. The editor, thanks to the contacts contracted
on his last trip, will also give the winner letters of introduction and recommendation to many influential friends who would render all necessary
courtesies. The winner, representing THE SYRIAN WORLD whose services
are fully recognized in the motherland, will be assured of the most friendly
reception by the authorities and the public.
�World Contest
SYRIA and RETURN
SYRIAN WORLD OFFER
The prize offered by THE SYRIAN WORLD to the winner in the contest is free passage, Cabin Class, both ways from New York to Beirut and
return, together with a liberal cash allowance for the shore excursions
above mentioned on the outward passage. Is this not a worthy prize to
try to win?
CONDITIONS OF CONTEST
1. THE SYRIAN WORLD prize of a Free Trip to Syria and return will be
awarded the individual securing the largest number of New subscribers to the magazine at the regular price of subscription.
2. Considering the great value of the prize offered, the minimum number
required to win the award must be not less than one hundred.
3. Every contestant, other than the winner, securing more than one hundred new subscriptions, will be awarded a special cash premium of
$1.50 for every subscription. Those securing less than one hundred will
be given $.100 for every subscription. In the event of two or more contestants tying for the Grand Prize, all will receive identical prizes.
4. The contest closes June 10, 1930. Letters post-marked later than this
date will not be counted. Announcement of the awards will be made
June 15.
5. Every subscription must be a new subscription, and must be accompanied by a remittance of the full price of $5.00.
6. Gift subscriptions will be counted as direct subscriptions. For instance,
if a contestant succeeds in inducing a friend to make gifts of a year's
subscription to each of five individuals, he will be given credit for
five individual subscriptions. Multiple subscriptions to the same person
will not be counted by the number of years; as, for instance, a single
individual subscribing for two years will not be given credit for two
subscriptions.
7. Those wishing to enter the contest must write to register, in which case
they will be furnished with special blanks and helpful literature.
8. The contest is open to all friends of THE SYRIAN WORLD anywhere
in the United States and Canada.
�IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
ON THE SUBJECT OF THE
SYRIAN WORLD CONTEST
OWING to the appreciation by the public of our liberal offer
Won/ rl^ !? ^ Syrla aS ? firSt Prize in the cur^nt Syrian
World Contest and m compliance with numerous requests to
this effect, we have decided to extend our offer as follows
l~While the minimum number of subscriptions required to win
P rCmainS at ne hundre
SLT
°
d, any contestant, besides the winner, procuring one hundred subscriptions has
the option of receiving either the cash prize or a one-wayy
free trip to Syria.
2—If a contestant should procure two hundred, he receives a
rree round trip.
3—For all subscriptions above two hundred the winner, as well
as any other contestant, receives a cash premium of one
doJJar for each subscription in excess of two hundred.
1
011 8 arC e
enter the
^^fhe
, any Vindividual
Tnfd<°member.
the !^
pnze to
co test a
»
"d award
5-Contestants working for the limited prizes of either a oneway trip or a round trip may withdraw once their goal is
reached and sail on any Fabre Line steamer, cabin class,
before the date set for the close of the Contest.
Registered contestants to date are the following:
ttj. Hashem, Poughkeepsie, Mrs. J. Rafful, Toledo, Ohio
N. Y.
Ed. Hershewe, Fort Dodge,
H. Abood, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Iowa.
Mrs. R. Hamrah, Naugatuck,
Conn.
S. Kallil, Detroit, Mich.
N. Sayed, Georgetown, S. C.
F. A. Coriaty, Manchester,
E. George, E. Liverpool, Ohio
N. H.
ONE MORE MONTH
IN
BWwB^ilvi^fiL'iW.'^.'twii'w.'Mii.i.ii*^
WHICH
TO
WIN.
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
APRIL, 1930.
VOL. IV. No. 8.
An InterviewjgWith El-Atassi
i
Syrian Nationalist Leader and President of the Constituent
Assembly Discusses the Political Situation.
By
I
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
"THAT the frequent changes of French High Commissioners
in Syria is but a part of French policy to wear down Syrian
resistance by dilatory tactics is the belief of Hashem Bey ElAtassi, President of the Syrian Constituent Assembly, and foremost Nationalist leader, as expressed to the writer in a private
interview while in Damascus last summer. He holds that High
Commissioner Ponsot, however, is the most sympathetic and the
best qualified of all the High Commissioners France has so far
sent to Syria. The Nationalists believe that if ever a satisfactory
solution is to be reached in the Syrian problem it will be through
him. That such a solution has not yet been reached indicates
the degree of the Syrian Nationalists' insistence on their sovereign rights as against France's interpretation of her mandatory
authority. They are not unwilling to concede to France its special
position, but only to such a degree as will be compatible with
their sovereignty.
In the light of the latest dispatches from Syria, the problem
seems no nearer an acceptable solution now than it was last summer. Hashem Bey El-Atassi had a long interview with High
Commissioner Ponsot in Beyrouth on April 11, later issuing a
statement announcing the failure of the negotiations. This climax came as a distinct shock to the high expectations of the Syrians who had called a special meeting of the Constituent Assembly on April 4 to formulate the minimum demands they would
'
HHRBHHBHHHHHHHMa
�8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
accept for presentation to the High Commissioner. Substantially, therefore, the Syrian situation has not undergone the
slightest change since the High Commissioner dissolved the Constituent Assembly in August of 1928, and the declarations of the
Syrian Nationalist leader would hold true at this late date as
when they were first given the writer last summer.
My interview with Hashem Bey El-Atassi took place on
August 12, 1929, at the house of one of the most militant Nationalist leaders, Falchry Bey Baroody. It was on the anniversary
of the declaration of Syrian independence and about forty of the
foremost Syrian Nationalists of Damascus had gathered at the
Baroody mansion ostensibly to attend as a body the betrothal
ceremony of the son of a certain minister of the Provisional Government. El-Atassi drew me to a corner of the spacious hall of
the men's quarters, and to the tune of the running fountain, a
prime feature in all Damascene palaces, poured out in an eloquent
flow of words the account of the Syrian Nationalists' struggles
and aspirations. He was speaking with the knowledge and the
authority of one who occupied the most responsible state offices
both during the reign of King Feisal and after. When the first
People's Assembly, which declared the independence of Syria
before the French occupation, was called he was elected President
and later became Prime Minister during the short reign of King
Feisal, and was finally elected President of the Constituent Assembly which formulated the Syrian Constitution found objectionable by High Commissioner Ponsot. He reviewed not only
the events associated with these turbulent times but touched on
the preliminaries leading to them, including the unsuccessful efforts of the United States at adjusting the Syrian political situation. On this point he spoke in unequivocal terms:
"At the conclusion of the World war, Syria looked to America with the fondest expectations. The world was then being reborn to new conditions and every nation was given to understand
that it would be free to shape its own destiny on the principal of
self-determination. During the war we had suffered much and
hoped that the intervention of America would be the panacea of
oppressed peoples. America was idealistic, disinterested and rich.
Being strong, she was in a position to enforce her will in demanding for the weak their just rights. We had even hoped that Amer-
V
�"^ ~-'^<*w*Trtf*#Mt
APRIL, 1930
ica would guide
us, on our rebirth
to national life,
along the Ipaihs
of self-government, and we so
expressed 'o u r selves to the
King-Crane Commission at the
time it visited
Syria. But America failed us and
left us to drift
alone on an uncharted
course
subject to European greed.
The .disappointment was most
severe. But this
much I can say
with the same degree of truthfulness and sincerity: we harbor no
bitterness against
America in spite
of all our suffering 'which we attribute to this
Hashem Bey El-Atassi,
failure on her President of the Syrian Constituent Assembly.
part. If she has
withheld
her
active political support, we are still hopeful of her continued
interest and moral support. We are firm in our belief that she
is the most unselfish and disinterested among the great Powers.
One could not mistake the ring of sincerity in the voice of
El-Atassi. As he spoke an expression of deep feeling crept over
his features. It was evident that the review he was making of
the recent political history of Syria stirred the very depths of his
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
soul. The bhthing of the roseate hopes which the Syrians had
cherished in America's interest was cause for the deepest sorrow.
The veteran leader soon regained his composure, and to the
question as to the extent of help expected from Syrian immigrants
in America, he replied that this help could be only moral and
financial. The sympathy of Syrians abroad gives the active workers in the field strength and courage to prosecute the national
cause to a successful finish, while financial aid is the sinews of all
political campaigns. The emigrants' past assistance is fully appreciated, and the hope was expressed that this display of interest would be continued without abatement or interruption.
The conversation then shifted to the subject of the present
political situation in the country. Hashem Bey El-Atassi does
not believe, in spite of the continual setbacks attending the course
of negotiations, that the situation has reached an impasse. "The
Syrian people are dependent on the righteousness of their cause
and determined to hold negotiations only with France in the
firm belief that she will act in the end on her reputed sense of
justice. All hope of English aid and fair play has been abandoned.
England, like Turkey, only used the Syrians as pawns in the
political game without regard for their own welfare. The Syrians concede that France is in occupation of the country by the
same right that would be claimed by any other Power, although
the illegality of any such claim is beyond question. But since
Prance is in actual occupation, the Syrians would be satisfied with
her mandate if it could be applied in a manner compatible with
Syrian sovereignty and dignity as a nation, a condition on which
the Nationalists insist."
Here the Syrian leader surveyed the evolution of political
events in the country from the time of the termination of the
war up to the dissolution by High Commissioner Ponsot of the
Constituent Assembly. He related how the British and Arab
forces occupied the country upon its evacuation by the Turks and
how Emir Feisal, then commander in chief of the Arab army
was entrusted with the task of government. Transjordania at
that time, was comprised within Syria as well as the four districts
of Baalbeck, Hasbaya, Rashaya, and Beka which were later annexed to Lebanon. The Syrian Government was still a military one
the Syrians declaring a monarchy and raising to its throne King
Feisal only after the failure of the American Commission to take
decisive action. Hashem Bey El-Atassi was the president of the
�V*
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Al-Marje, the principal square in Damascus, massec
I with French -whippets during the Syrian revolution. *,
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Congress which declared Syrian independence and became later
the first and only Prime Minister during the six months' reign
of King Feisal.
"That short period of complete and actual Syrian independence," he said, "shall ever remain a golden dream which we shall
continue striving to again translate into actuality."
The British forces had evacuated the country and the Syrians were in full control. Only Lebanon was under actual French
occupation, and in order to bring this latter country into the Syrian fold the proposition was advanced by the Syrian Government
to form a Syrian federation, "chiefly to permit Lebanon to retain
its status of independence." But then the political tempest broke
out and General Gouraud sent his famous ultimatum containing
the five conditions to wit: Acceptance of the French mandate;
disbanding of the national army; acceptance of the paper issue
of the Syrian-Lebanese bank as legal currency; surrender by
Syria to France of all railroads and appointment of a commission
to determine the terms of the application of the mandate.
What followed this famous ultimatum is history. King Feisal claims to have answered it upon receipt, agreeing to all conditions, while General Gouraud insists that the answer was received
only after the elapse of the time limit and when he had already
ordered the mobilization of the army. Then came the battle of
Maisaloom and the entry of the French into Damascus for the
first time after the great war.
Hashem Bey El-Atassi here supplied some extremely important details which have not so far appeared in print. King Feisal, according to his account, was not in Damascus at the time
the French entered the Syrian capital as commonly believed. On
the contrary, he was at the town of Kaswa which is beyond the
confines of Al-Ghouta and on the borders of Hawran. He immediately returned to Damascus upon receiving the news that the
French were in occupation of the city, but no sooner had he arrived than the French themselves told him to leave. This would
absolve King Feisal of any accusation of cowardice in having fled
the city upon the approach of the French.
Here Hashem Bey El-Atassi recalled the frequent changes
of High Commissioners and consequently of policies: How De
Jouvenel had permitted the convocation of a Constituent Assembly with the tacit understanding that it would eleci. a native government on the basis of entering into treaty negotiations with the
r
�13
APRIL, 1930
mandatory power. But De Jouvenel departed, never to return,
and his successor, Ponsot, not only sanctioned his action but promised to give the people of Syria a free hand in choosing their
own form of government. The elections to the Constituent Assembly resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Nationalists,
and they decided on a republican form of government for which
they naturally laid down a constitution. Here was the stumbling
bloc to the orderly progress of Syrian efforts towards achieving
national life. The High Commissioner objected to six articles
which he held to be incompatible with the right of France as the
mandatory power, while the Nationalists, in the words of Hashem Bey El-Atassi, as expressed to the writer, maintain that the
Constitution will cease to be a constitution at all of a free and
sovereign nation if shorn of these articles."
It is now over a vear and a half since the High Commissioner
dissolved the Syrian Constituent Assembly owing to these objectionable articles, and during all this time, in spite of frequent and
earnest efforts on the part of both parties, no middle ground
seems to have been reached. Such is the political situation in
Syria today, and the faith of the veteran Syrian leader, Hashem
Bey El-Atassi, remains unshaken that if ever a solution is to be
reached it shall be through High Commissioner Ponsot and on
the strength of the Syrians' belief in their inherent fight and
in France's sense of equity and justice.
Helpfulness
By KAHLIL GIBRAN
We are all climbing toward the summit of our hearts' desire.
Should the other climber steal your sack and your purse and wax
fat on the one and heavy on the other, you should pity him;
The climbing will be harder for his flesh, and the burden
will make his way longer.
And should you in your leanness see his flesh putting upward,
help him a step; it will add to your swiftness.
*
*
*
*
*
You cannot judge any man beyond your knowledge of him,
and how small is your knowledge.
�rf
14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Imaginary Speech to the Senate
By REV. W. A. MANSUR
/. The Greatness of the Loyal Syrian-American Citizens.
SENATORS, all history praises the venerable Syrian race because of its prominent place in history, its contributions to
avilization, and its potentialities for future world service. Europe
America and the world are its debtors. Cultures and governments
inherit vital impulses from this race. The world itself could no
progress, could not attain happiness, and could not achieve freedom were it not for the legacies of the Syrian race
q
nt I
iTC °nuy °ne authority to impress upon you the debt
of the world to the Syrian race and its native land. Edward
Gibbon says in The History and the Decline of the Fall of the
Roman EmPre, "Yet Phoenicia and Palestine will forever Ive
in the memory of mankind; since America, as well as Europe
has receded letters from the one and religion from the otW»
to hum-^nr 06 ^l ^ the m°St imP°rt^t contributions
to human progress. Their ancestors, the Phoenicians, gave us
the alphabetj the art of navigation and transmarine commerce
Their forbears of pre-Chrirstian times gave us the highTsTcon
ceptions of man regarding religion, morals and sociefy Thdr
Christian forefathers began the missionary impulse that Chris
lamzed the world Their mediaeval fathers car'ried the dvilit
mg influence to the nations, races, and languages of Europe and
The Syrian race survived world conquerors, repeated miera
tions, alien cultures and race struggles. Their country, sSd
be ween Africa Europe and Asia, was made a settlement ground
for the quarrels of surrounding nations. There Alexander the
Macedonian, Pompey the Roman, Tamerlane the Tartar, Nap0_
!rvenbahtet,eFsrenChman' & ^^ the *«&* * W*Xmn TV ^S"^"1,6^3"8 h^'e proven themselves perhaps the
most law-abiding, hberty-loving and industrious-livingof he
races in America. During the World War they contributed
�e
APRIL, 1930
racially, perhaps the highest percentage to the army and navy;
they enthusiastically supported the nation's financial drives, and
they faithfully upheld American patriotism. For Syrian-Americans believe in America's constitutional government, rule by the
vote of the majority, separation of church and state, law-obedience, free speech, press, and assembly, and readiness for the
nation's defense.
II. The Attack upon America's Constitutional Patriotism.
Recently, Senators, you heard the illustrious Syrian race
slandered to your faces; you saw the glorious Syrian race crucified before your eyes and felt the innocent Syrian race stabbed
at your feet. But, sirs, these talented people, these progressive
citizens, and these high-grade, liberty-loving, law-abiding, loyalminded, industrious-living, and God-fearing Americans are slandered, crucified and stabbed for no other reason than race prejudice.
• • i
t m
But, Senators, America's constitutional patriotism, principles
and future are being attacked, undermined and destroyed by the
slander, disgrace and hatred of American citizens. The assault
is upon the charters of independence and freedom, the ideals
and hopes, the welfare and future of the nation. The charge is
against millions of children and youth, millions of weak and
helpless, and millions of law-abiding, loyal-hearted and industrious-living citizens.
What think you of him who tramples under his feet the principles of the Constitution? What think you of him who flings to
flames the flag that stands for our liberties? What think you of
him who betrays the rights of the peoples of our nation? Sirs,
trust him not who arrays race against race in America. Trust
him not who spurrs America's races to alliances with outside
races. Trust him not who promotes the division of America on
the basis of race, color, or creed. Trust him not who plants seeds
of discord in the body, soul, and spirit of America. I care not
what his power or pelf, his name or claim, his race or place, he
who divides our nation into hostile races based on race prejudice,
discrimination, and hatred betrays the nation's soul, leads you
astray, and plants seeds of decay in the nation.
Let us beware of a narrow patriotism, the ruin of nations; a
divided nation, the bane of governments; and race prejudice,
the destroyer of good-will. Let us learn a lesson from history.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
H. G. Wells says in The Outline of History, "She (Rome)
understood the value of allies; she could assimilate; abroad as
at home she could in those days at least "give and take" with a
certain fairness and sanity. There lay the peculiar power of Rome.
By that it was she succeeded where Athens, for example, had
conspicuously failed. The Athenian democracy suffered much
from that narrowness of "patriotism", which is the ruin of all
nations. Athens was disliked and envied by her own empire because she dominated it in a spirit of civic egotism; her disasters
were not felt and shared as disasters by her subject-cities. The
shrewder, nobler Roman senators of the great years of Rome,
before the first Punic war overstrained her moral strength and
began her degeneration, were not only willing in the last resort
to share their privilege with the mass of their own people, but
eager to incororate their sturdiest antagonists upon terms of
equality with themselves."
When I behold the declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the oath of citizenship, my
mind becomes clear as to the true nature of American patriotism.
It is upon Constitutional patriotism that we should continue to
build America. Upon the following principles rest the harmony,
prosperity and defense of America: That all men are created
equal, that they arc endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That we stand for a perfect union, the
establishment of justice, and the guarantee of domestic tranquillity. That we uphold the provision for the common defense,
the promotion of the general welfare, and the securing of the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. That we believe, preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Senators, he who slanders any race within our nation violates
the spirit of the Constitution, lays a precedent for the insult of
other races, and prepares the way for national discord. He who
counsels you thus would delude you, betraying the trust of our
American forefathers, and leading to the dissolution of the Republic. I counsel you to abide by the Constitutional guarantees
as m so doing you stand by the soul of the Republic, you uphold
the spirit of the Union and you promote harmony among the
races in America.
*
�APRIL, 1930
17
III. The Solution of America's Immigration Problem.
What is the occasion for the disgrace, disparagement, and
contumely of other races: It is the immigration problem. Is it
not possible for men of honor, intelligence, wisdom, and humanity to study, discuss, and solve this perplexing problem without
contemptuous reproach, insolent temper, and disgraceful vituperation:
Prejudice, racial, religious or national, is usually mothered
by ignorance, born in conceit, cradled in isolation, and reared in
ill-will. Prejudice blights the mind, atrophies the sympathies
and impoverishes the life. Shall prejudiced men who have belated minds, are ignorant of other world values, and lack the
principle of good-will, be permitted to lead the nation astray?
Prejudiced men are incapable of thinking upon and solving America's immigration problem in a clear, sympathetic and just manner.
Thinking men are agreed that America's welfare demands
restrictive immigration. We are convinced that we muts safeguard America's principles, institutions and future; that overwhelming numbers cannot change their attitude, customs, and
culture quickly enough; that we cannot provide adequate means
for the Americanization of incoming multitudes. We are convinced that the incoming peoples would supplant the rights, opportunities, and future that rightly belong to Americans and
their children. We are convinced that it is difficult for some races
to be amalgamated, transformed and Americanized to produce
harmony with American ideals.
For patriotic, economic, and cultural reasons, restrictive immigration is necessary. As President-elect, Herbert Hoover was
right in saying, "The restriction upon immigration is a boon not
only to those of my hearers who were born on American soil, but
to those who have come from the old countries, for every one
would suffer equally by the lowering of our wages and standards of living."
Sirs, I propose a solution of the immigration problem on
more American, equitable, just and honorable basis. Without
insult to any race, without discrimination against any people, and
without nullification of human rights. My proposition is simple:
First, let the number of races and their population be ascertained.
Second, find the percentage of each race and nationality in penitentiary and jail, in orphanage and poor-farm, in illiteracy and
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
poverty. Third, secure facts about the health, education, patriotism of the rising generations. Fourth, let the immigration quota
be set on the basis of American loyalty, law-obedience, and industrious living. Let it be remembered that the public schools will
help solve the immigration, education and Americanization problems. Restrictive immigration will give guidance in selecting
incoming people, accelerate the Americanization process, and protect America's nationalism. The Constitutional guarantees will
maintain pure Americanism, provide adequate defense and uphold
national harmony.
IV. The Decision of Syrian-Americans to Uphold the Honor
of Their Race.
It seems the Senator who slandered my race knew that we
Syrian-Americans, being few in number, could not be heard above
the crowd. The Senator who villified my race must have known
that we Syrian-Americans were not racially organized and could
not speak powerfully for ourselves. The Senator who insulted
my race must have realized the Syrian race in the world was
small numerically, unrepresented by ambassadors, and unaMe to
resort to arms. Did the Senator lack the milk of human kindness: Was he ignorant of Syrian race history? Was he filled
with race bigotry that he inaugurated race persecution? Is race
organization necessary in America as insurance against race slander by the Senator?
Sirs, what man of you who nursed from his mother's breast
whose blood would not boil with indignation at the slander of
his mother and her kind? What man of you with human feelings
would not be fired with resistance at the insult of his person and
race? WThat man of you with paternal instincts for his child
would not fight at the disgrace of his child and family?
Sirs, shall we Syrian-Americans submit like dumb, driven
cattle to this ignominy and disgrace? Shall we keep silent lest
we offend you by our self-defense? Shall we cower like brute
beasts before greater numbers of other races? Sooner will our
tongues be torn by their roots, our eyes gouged out of their
sockets, and our hearts plucked from our breasts ere we consent
to such cowardly proposals. Sirs, we shall not submit, we shall
not keep silent, we shall not cower; rather, we shall resist, fight
and press our righteous cause before heaven.
But Senators, this is not the question of one race, but of all
1
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» »K.£V.
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�APRIL, 1930
.
t-
races, civilizations and nations. The slandering senator has made
the American immigration problem the occasion for the world
race question.
Again let us be guided by the lessons of history. Yesterday
the cohorts of Persia, Babylon, Nineveh and Egypt overran
the Near East. Yesterday the armies of Hannibal, Alexander,
and Caesar galloped over the earth. Yesterday the Ottomans,
Spain, and Portugal swayed their powers over mankind. Today
they are all lying in the dark past, their powers destroyed, and
their civilizations a memory.
Seventy-five years ago Japan would have been considered
among the backward and inferior races. One hundred years ago
Russia, Prussia and Austria were not even mentioned at the Holy
Alliance. One hundred and twenty-five years ago China, Japan,
Belgium, Australia, and South Africa had not appeared on the
world horizon. One hundred and fifty years ago the United
States did not exist.
He would be a rash, unreasonable, and presumptuous man
who, in the light of history, would venture to draw permanent
lines for all times separating the backward from the forward
people, the inferior from the superior races, and the uncivilized
from the civilized nations. There is no basis of scientific facts,
divine revelations, or historical deductions that any race, nation,
or people is forever to be the superior of earth. For the backward, inferior and uncivilized race, nation, or people of yesterday may tomorrow supplant the forward, superior, and civilized
races, nations, and peoples of today. Thus, in the light of history,
there is nothing to be gained from race arrogance, national exploitation and military dominance.
As for the Syrian race it is among the most intelligent of
the races, among the most talented people of mankind, and
among the most progressive of immigrant races in America.
Chas. W. Eliot, president of Harvard University, said, "Millions of European and Near-Eastern people have crossed the
Atlantic and taken the serious risk of attempting to secure a foothold in fresh and free America, because they hoped to escape
from economic pressure and chronic poverty. * * * The early
comers took the risks of the wilderness, the Indians, the untried
climate, and the unknown diseases. The late comers have dared
the perils of congested cities, of novel industries and of insecure
employment. Hence, by heredity, the white Americans of today
)
\
::.;-
.
.-... *
'
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
—of whatever race or stock—have a fair chance to be by nature
independent, bold, and enterprising." George Adam Smith
quotes Hogarth's statement, "There is no more enterprising, no
keener intellect in the Near East than the Syrian of the Fringe
—the inhabitants of the Lebanon and the Syrian littoral." Talcott Williams says of the Syrians in America, "No more intellectual immigration has come to us in the past forty years."
The modern renaissance of the Syrian race is already bringing forward a world Syrian race, world Syrian influence, and
world Syrian commerce. Therefore, as Syrian-Americans, because of our race inheritance, race legacies, and race progress
we boldly stand for the honor of our race, and resist the slander
hurled at us in the senate chamber.
I . The Demand of Syrian-Americans for Their Rights as American Citizens.
We Syrian-American citizens demand what are our rights as
Americans. First, on the basis of the Constitutional guarantees.
Second, on the ground of having made the supreme sacrifice during the World War. Third, on the foundation of being Godfearing, liberty-loving, law-abiding, and industrious-living people.
We ask for no special privileges, we desire no exceptional favors,
and we want no rights but what belong to all Americans.
It is what a man is through choice, growth and achievement
that counts and not what he is by accident of birth, place and
circumstance. That is the true basis of American citizenship,
ideals and institutions. That is what lies back of America's character, prosperity and progress. That is the real ground of America's spirit, development and future. That is the foundation of
America's doctrine of equality. .
We Syrian-Americans are proud of our ancestors because we
would emulate them. We are proud of the achievements of our
forefathers because we desire to achieve like them. We are proud
of our fathers because we would imitate their progressive spirit.
As for pride of race, in itself it is a delusion, for no man chose
his race. As' for pride of place, in itself it is a fiction, for no man
picked his birthplace. As for pride of color, in itself it.is a superstition, for no man selected his color.
I demand what rightfully belong to Syrian American citizens
on the basis of American citizenship. Chas. W. Eliot groups the
Syrian Christian immigrants in America with the highest types
�—"
—
21
APRIL, 1930
of America's pioneers. "The English Pilgrims and Puritans, the
French Huguenots, the Scotch Covenanters, the Moravians, the
Quakers, the Russian jews and the Syrian Chnstians all fled
from religious hostilities or restrictions, and meant to secure, or
expected to find, in the New World freedom to worship God
each in his own way. They found that liberty, and ultimately
established in the United States a regime of absolute religious
toleration " We Syrian-Americans are Americans in heart, have
made America a permanent homeland, and have an American
outlook. Let us Americans repudiate race superiority, for it is
at the expense of other races; let us do away with race prejudice,
for it is due to lack of appreciation of other races; let us do away
with race discrimination, for it is founded on the discount ot
equal opportunities to other races.
On the basis of America's doctrine of equal liberty to American citizens we Syrian-Americans claim equal respect for our
race on the ground of equality with other races in America, as
well as equality of citizenship, equality of opportunity and
equality before the law.
VI. The Assurance of Victory Is Trough a Firm Trust in God.
Senators, the assurance of victory for the honor of the Syrian
race is a firm trust in God. Since our trust is in God our faith
is well founded. We are confident of final triumph because ot
the righteousness of our cause. But let it be remembered that
we did not choose this race controversy, we did not provoke this
race strife, we did not bring on us this race struggle.
Shall Senators rally to the side of race good-will, national
harmony, and human brotherhood, or to the side of race prejudice,
national sectionalism, and human strife?
Will you sing the hymn of race hatred of the slandering
Senator and betray, like Judas Iscariot, the Gospel of Christian
brotherhood for the glittering things of earth; will you apostatize, like Julian the Apostate, from the truth that would make
mankind free to uphold a dying superstition; and will you bargain, like Benedict Arnold, the republic of free men for the
sordid reward of the enemy of human progress?
I believe God has given the standard to which we should
rally It is my belief that God is the Creator, preserver and
governor of the universe; that He is the Father of all races
alike- that the Golden Rule is the guide for race relationships;
inmiffismim .
... --..
,: ? .
sessssMsssis - v;-5v-"«;».>v.->.
�22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and that we ought to be brethren. It is my sentiment that we
uphold pure Americanism, equal citizenship, and industrious living. In the name of God, in the spirit of America's founders,
and for the sake of posterity let there be no race arrogance, race
division, or race hatred among us, rather let there be one race,
an American race; one flag, an American flag; one allegiance, an
American allegiance that shall transcend race, color, creed and
birthplace in a common American patriotism.
I predict the outcome of the race problem in America. The
day is here, and it is coming to the whole world, that no more
shall any one, group, or race be slandered, hindered or judged
on the basis of race prejudice.
With my eyes lifted to the God of mankind, my hand saluting the flag of our country, and with a prayer in my heart imploring Divine blessing, let us judge patriotism on the guarantees of
the Constitution, men on the basis of character, races on the
ground of humanity, and issues on the foundation of justice.
It is upon the Constitution, character, humanity and justice that
I claim equal respect for the glorious Syrian race among the
races of mankind.
Despair
By
NAJLA SABE
I wandered by the sea last night
To watch the foamy waves,
But more to hear their dismal groans
Resounding in the caves.
I heard them tell their tales of woe
In melancholy tones,
And heard their answer to my prayers
In mournful, fitful moans.
*
*
*
Oh Sea! If thou, a soulless thing,
Hast felt the pang of Life
How much more I, who live and love,
Must shoulder in the strife'
,,
�^
23
APRIL, 1930
Wayfarers of the Lowly Road
By
PAUL DEAB
EWER searching, our eyes seek a star,
That most precious jewel in the diadem
Which night does wear. And from afar
Our lowly road seems to wind on endlessly,
For we may not rest now and then
To hear the matins of birds, and lovingly
To touch the crimson of a rose,
Whose fragrance tells us its presence is so near.
We would forget that mortal woes
Shall be our fate. We would have not e'en one fear—
If in willows' shade we might lie,
And glimpse through swaying branches the magic sight
Of moods that fill the golden sky
As it dons the star-flecked sapphire veils of night.
Life sent for our journey the hours,
But gave us not one to spare for happy things;
Not one for music or flowers.
As though imbedded in our mind, ever rings
The cry that these hours are soon gone;
And the omnipresent fear there be no bread.
By a thousand fears are we torn.
Onward, we are into Eternity led,
Very weary. Yet shall we smile
For having rejoiced to feel the ecstasy
Of kind hands leading us awhile,
Of friendships made on this road of Destiny.
�'
---•-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
The Return Home
(A SHORT STORY)
By Louis
MARON
MAJIB was leaning on the railing of the upper deck at the stern
of the ship. He was watching the unending, foamy path
trailing behind them in the water. He could still see dimly the
harbor of Beirut, in the distance, and a little nearer, the American University, his Alma Mater. His young, handsome face lit
up as he fondly thought of the beautiful site of the college, of
his evening walks around the campus, and of the magnificent
view of the waters and harbor as seen from the college. Nothing had so inspired him as the lovely sunsets on the Mediterranean waters. He used to stay for hours at a time watching
their colorful, slow progress, in enraptured silence. How he was
going to miss these! Yet, they had told him of many more wonderful things in America. Perhaps they have beautiful sunsets
there, too. His brain was a whirl of past and future events. He
thought of his friends and how they had envied him when he
told them that he was going to America to continue studying.
He wondered if the college in New York was as nice as his in
Beirut. His eyes kindled as he thought of New York! In a few
weeks he would be there and see for himself all that was claimed
for it. New York had always seemed to him a realm of opportunity and adventure; yet today, as he thought of it," he felt
uneasy. His reveries seemed to have a flaw in them, a, worldly
element which was constantly interrupting them and troubling
him. And then he thought of his mother—sad and lonely, looking at him with pleading, tearful eyes. Yes, that was why his
happiness was not complete. He covered his face with his hands.
He was ashamed at the thought of leaving his mother without
a word of parting. What would she do when she found out that
he had gone—gone to a country which she knew so little about?
He trembled! How would she bear it? He made a resolution,
then, to pray each night for her welfare and health. Najib loved
the fulfillment of his ambitions and had allowed this passing
love to conquer his everlasting, sincere love for his mother. But
�25
APRIL, 1930
lie would repay her! Yes, he would write to her always—comforting letters. He would earn much money in New York—New
York, the city of fortune, teeming with good American dollars.
Yes and he would send her many of them, and perhaps then
she would be happv. The thought of acquiring money easily and
quickly braced him. He straightened his strong, lithe body.
Again he gazed at the rippling foam of the waters. He was surprised to rind that Night had suddenly taken possession of the
world during his reveries. And he was glad. He loved Night;
it helped him to dream such lovely things. The sight now from
his position on the deck was much more beautiful than before.
The moon was directly above the path of foam and was decorating it daintily with sparkling dots of silver. It was a perfect orb,
with a soft, mellow halo about it. Fluffy, black clouds covered
it now and then. Najib felt like a child and delighted in catching sight of it as it emerged from behind its temporary hiding
place, beaming and radiant with light. He stayed there for a
long while, discovering new sights and visions to refresh his sensitive, weary mind.
*
*
Three years have passed and Najib is still in New York. He
is now taking only one course at college, devoting most of the
day to his work. He has had a hard time promoting a business
enterprise of his own and even now he is having trouble trying
to keep things going smoothly. Just a little time remains to
himself and this he generously gives to his blond American
friend He liked her ever since he met her at an affair given by
one of his friends. She always seems to him so pleasant and
cheerful He likes the way she pronounces his name and admires
even more the way she talks in her inimitable, babyish way.
His letters to his mother have dwindled to an average ot
about one every four months. She is writing him faithfully,
pleading with him to come back. She enquires constantly about
his health and well-being. He knows in advance what each of
her forthcoming letters will contain. Yet he likes to receive and
read them He can picture his mother so vividly wnen reading
her letters He wants to write to her more often, but his time
is not his own. No, his time belongs to his business. His career
needs all his attention now. When he becomes successful he will
make up for everything. His mother must realize this. Doesn t
�26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
she want him to become rich? For then he could send for her
his IitH " "IT f ,Ve *?&***"• He *nUes as he thinks of
his little, o d-fash.oned mother. What would she think of New
\ork and ,ts dazzlmg, breath-taking activities? He ho es she
will bke his American friend. Yes, she will have to if she is to
live with him. But, now, he must forget about the future and
concentrate on his business. Plenty of time for these other things!
*
*
*
*
nt
is now more
ful
\yeHe
£ hhas
f Sdiscovered
Fd ^ Najib
ful, IutnT
but not much.
that his dreams of successacauir-
NfwTorrevJntit "" "^ ^ ^ * "* ^ *
Najib is changed. Success and riches do not lure him on to
work as they used to. He has no more the blond, babyish^frienS
With the sweet sm.le. He has no more the pitiful letters from
m
h, ag.„g
th
H
]S done now_]onesome and de
nde°n
He s,t at his desk and gazes blankly at the world. What ails
him? l<or months he searches for the cause of his despondency
It dawns upon him suddenly that he is homesick-homesick for
everything—his mother, and Lebanon with its beautiful hills and
plains. But most of all his mother. He longs to see her againYnSl rVKSt g°A baCk- ?°thing n°W entices hi to «tay in New
York. O her, deeper things lure him. But he'll come back to
New York! Oh, yes! For when he is well again, he will pick
up he stray threads of his business and ambitions and everyth
g
y
g
will be as he wishes it to be.
Again he is on the ship, standing on the spot where he had
stood seven long years ago. He is thinking of the mother whom
he has not seen for so many years! Is she changed? Will she
greet him the way he had imagined she would? He dopes'so
and is confident of it.
* l
He has reached his little town in Lebanon radiant with the
thought of seeing his mother again. Najla, his childhood friend,
tells him about her. Najib,s stunned! He cannot believe it He
is dazed and seems oblivious to everything. Not until he has" seen
the little rooms of his home, does he realize it all. He cries bitCOnSC
IA
U L
flce tortures hi - Why hadn't he communiCr
And
his h
dreams
fututTf
°/KtenerL
"F and
°P£S and
o£ hears
their
future
life ,together:
Shattered
lost!
He constantly
the soft, consoling voice of Najla—his mother's faithful com-
PMHHBMIHHMHMHBHI
'
�"
27
APRIL, 1930
panion. But not even that will fill the vacuum in his heart. He
needs no comfort. He wants to fight it out alone with himself.
Many months pass and Najib is still living in the same state
of misery and loneliness. One day he finds himself gazing fondly at Najla, who is now keeping house for him as she had for his
mother. Najla is pretty! Was she always like that? He never
noticed it before. How quietly she went about her duty! Everything she does or says now seems perfect to him. Her presence
makes him happier now. He wants her to be near him all the
time. Najla is conscious of the sudden change in Najib. She
blushes when their hands accidently touch. Najib wonders. Does
she feel the same way about him as he does about her? He determines to find out! Would she ? He is relieved when she reassures him. Najib is happy. He hasn't felt so in such a long time
that now it seems almost unreal. Najla is happy, too. Happy
to be with him, and happy because they are going to America.
On the day that they are to leave the little town of^ thenchildhood, Najla brings out a large oil painting of Najib's
mother. Najib reverently kisses it and prepares it for its long
journey home with them.
Beethoven
By
THOMAS ASA
Oh, immortal master of divine intent!
Though you now rest in silence and repose,
And thy knowing heart and eyes did close
Upon the world you knew, with full content,
Your deathless voice has chained this firmament jMade it forget its earthly cares and woes,
Dispelled the menace of life's hidden floes—
A messenger of love by Heaven sent.
The wings of time shall bear the joyful praise
Of creatures of the earth, with lips released
By thy vicarious touch of Godly flame j
That shall guide the soul through fruitful ways,A light to ages yet to come—till all has ceased}
Your genius has not left the world the same.
u
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
From Beirut to the Palestine
Border
A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE
EDITOR'S TRIP ABROAD
By
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
VII
RISING directly behind Beirut, and forming a sort of backdrop
to the level plain which serves as stage to the capital city, is
the district of Ash-Shouf, one of the most beautiful and populous sections of the Lebanon range. Aleih, the summer capital
of the Lebanese Republic, is in this district, and although situated
at an elevation of 2500 feet, the distance from the capital proper
is but twenty minutes by automobile. Along the same latitude
towards the south are a number of important towns but a few
miles apart. If all places of interest in Lebanon were to be seen,
these could not be missed.
Aleih is the gateway to this section in that it lies directly on
the Beirut-Damascus highway. It offers much of the cosmopolitan aspect} its cafes and shops and bustling traffic and general
activity immediately betray its official character. But as one travels further south, away from the main highway, he comes more
and more into the Lebanese atmosphere, although of a decidedly
refined and modern character. The comparative proximity to
the city and the increasing means of easy transportation have converted the towns of this district into virtual suburbs. I was told
that since the war regular commutation to Beirut has been maintained during all seasons.
Aside from considerations of general interest, I had definite
personal reasons for visiting this section. Souk-El-Gharb is the
hometown of my friend and schoolmate, Nasib Kalaf, and
the summer residence of the great Arab scholar, Jabr Dumit,
whose golden jubilee as teacher of Arabic in the American University of Beirut was celebrated only a year before. We were
friends through correspondence, and in paying my respects to
mm
I
�mamm
APRIL, 1930
29
him I was voicing the admiration of his thousands of Syrian and
Lebanese admirers throughout America. Alas that he should
have passed away before the close of the year!
From there the road led to Shamlan. This is a town I would
not have failed to visit even if it were not so easy to reach. It is
the hometown of our celebrated scholar Dr. Philip K. Hitti as
well as that of our well-beloved compatriot Ibrahim K. Hitti.
Who knows that this little hamlet will not some day house a
national shrine?
And only a few miles further south was Abeih, hometown
of one of our shining literary lights in America, Dr. Salim\ .
Alkazin. I could tell by the first glance at his venerable mother,
sitting serenely on the stoop of her home facing the massive old
church, whence had come her son's rich spiritual heritage. Ihen
there must be something inspirational in the natural topography ot
the town. It nestles snuggly on a bluff overlooking a succession
of gently deploying valleys which terminate in the vast stretches
of the coastal plain to the south of Beirut. The plain here appears
like an immense checkerboard with its yellow patches of desert
and green squares of sown. It merges harmoniously into the
limpid blue of the placid Mediterranean.
This circumscribed tour of the district was accomplished in
a single afternoon. That night I spent in the city to permit ot
my early continuation the next morning on the last eg ot my
travels through Lebanon. At that season they were busily engaged
in widening the road from Beirut to Sidon and covering it with
asphalt. General traffic was permitted only at certain intervals
during the day, and the authorities were most strict in showing
no favoritism. Hence the necessity of an early departure.
The morning of August 21 found us speeding south in the
direction of the Palestine border. Soon we came to the famous
olive grove of Shwaifat, said to be the third largest in the world.
Then we passed the wireless station at Khalda, which is in daily
communication with the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Ad-Damour,
with its vast mulberry groves and numerous silk filatures, was
the next town of importance on the way. At that time of the
year, however, its river had almost dried up leaving the broad
beach in a not altogether hospitable appearance of deso ation and
nakedness. Tradition tells us, nevertheless, that it was hospitab e
enough to Jonah when he was cast ashore by the inhospitable
whale after his three days' incarceration.
�1
30
^
THE SYRIAN WORLD
While passing through a small town below Ad-Damour, our
chauffeur, who in this instance was a Metwali native of the section, brought his car to a sudden stop and complained of being
hit by a pebble. Blood was trickling from a wound in his forehead just above the left eye. He had been more observant than
we and said that two small boys about a hundred feet away were
engaged at the pastime of pelting passersby with stones, and he
would remonstrate with their parents who were the keepers of
a nearby inn. At first we thought we would not interfere, but
soon we heard piercing shrieks and screams from the direction
of the inn. Fearing the little incident might develop into a serious affair between the chauffeur and the lads' parents we decided
to investigate. Think of our surprise when, upon our arrival, we
discovered the father belaboring the youngsters mercilessly with
a mulberry twig. He was profuse in his apologies to us and to
the chauffeur. "The boys are of an irresponsible age," he remarked, "but they must learn to welcome and protect strangers
instead of molesting them." This was in strict keeping with the
universally observed Lebanese tradition.
We reached the city of Sidon shortly before noon. My cousin, Joseph Mokarzel, would not rest until he found his local
agent. And he was right in his insistance, for the agent proved
to be a neat young chap having ready access to all quarters and
all places of historical interest in the city. The car could not
travel in the narrow, tortuous streets of the old town, so he led
the way on foot to the waterfront. Going through this once
famous Phoenician seaport one did not have to draw much on his
imagination to reconstruct its hoary civilization and the conditions under which its inhabitants of old lived and worked. The
guide led us to places the ordinary tourist could hardly hope to
see—through the old Moslem and Christian quarters, past rows
of small doorways opening on inner courts that left much to be
desired from the sanitary viewpoint. Every block seemed to be
a fort in itself, built in heavy masonry with narrow and dingy
passages giving the aspect of catacombs, and the denizens flitting
about noiselessly like phantoms. The guide explained that he
was leading to the old Crusaders' fort, of which only an isolated
tower and a block house remained. But the objective did not
prove as interesting as the sites encountered en route. At one
time we actually had to stoop to pass under a stone arch supporting tower-like dwellings. He made the amazing statement that
i
�The plain of Saida, ancient Phoenician city, viewed from the piazza of a palace crowning
one of the neighboring hills.
o*
�b;
V:
General view of the Crusaders'* Castle protecting the harbor and
city of Saida. Its only value at present is that of
a relic of antiquity.
» <,m.... « m
I .1.1 ill I MJXjf WgSWgB
•oBpp
si
it
�*
APRIL, 1930
33
that passageway was actually not only a public thoroughfare, but
one of the main traffic arteries of the old quarter of the city.
Perhaps the most imposing sight in Sidon is the sea fort. It
is reached over a causeway that has fallen in ruins in places and
is covered by planks. Within this causeway was buijt an acqueduct to supply the fort with potable water during sieges.
The lone guardian of the fort opened the dilapidated wooden
door to let us into the enclosure. Alice Mokarzel, an Egyptianborn niece of Joseph Mokarzel, displayed not only bravery but
sure-footedness in negotiating the risky passages of the fortifications We went as far as the extreme tower, at the base of which
can still be observed, in a good stage of preservation, the ominous
looking sea gate. What desperate hand-to-hand encounters must
have taken place throughout the centuries in the narrow passages
leading up from the landing within this tower!
The guardian called our attention to the walls of the fort
facing the sea in which were still embedded the solid cannon balls
used before the invention of explosive shells. He also pointed
-' out the ruins of what was once the chapel during the occupation
Tof the Crusaders.
,
.. ,
The mental picture of days gone by, with all their bloody
and desperate struggles, evoked by the sight of these historic
ruins, was rudely shattered when we repaired to what was described to us as the cleanest restaurant in town. There we discovered that this was made possible through the enterprise of a
former Syrian emigrant in America, one who had seen service
on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn and who was now doing a thriving
business by providing his patrons with clean napkins and decent
service.
We could have continued from Sidon to the other famous
Phoenician city, Tyre. But I chose to visit Jedaidat Merjioun
and enter Palestine from the inland route. The road led to the
Khardaly Bridge, where the French army made its last desperate
stand against the Druze rebels in 1925 and effectively stemmed
their tide. Above this bridge, on the crest of a steep hill whose
bare sides rise almost perpendicularly from the depth of the
valley, is the famous Crusaders fort of Shakif, its black walls
silhouetted menacingly against the azure skies. One could hardly
imagine a more imposing and awe-inspiring sight.
Before reaching Jedaidat we stopped at a melon-grower's
hut to sample the watermelons for which this section is noted.
�I
—IIW
MMMn
34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
A section of the old. sea fortification of Sidon, now partly used as
dwellings, as viewed from the causeway leading to the Crusaders'
Castle.
They proved to be of a small variety, only a little larger in some
cases than ordinary oranges. They are sold by weight and the
virtues ascribed to them were surprising. "Place the melon in
the shade for three minutes and it becomes as cold as ice," asserted the vender. We acted on his advice but were not convinced.
The natural flavor of the melon, however, was all that was
claimed for it.
That evening I was the guest of Ceasar Rashid, brother of
mv good friend in America Mubadda Rashid of Chautauqua.
About twenty prominent citizens attended the dinner, and their
geniality, hospitality and culture were in keeping with the standard of their compatriots in America. The host requested George
Samra, then on a visit from New York, to act as toastmaster.
The speakers included Dr. Mujalli Jabara, George Nada, George
Shadid, Dr. Michel Jabara, N. Farha, Alfred Samra and the
editor of Al-Nahdat, one of the two local papers.
In responding, it was but natural to tell the homefolks of the
wonderful success their townsmen had achieved in America. The
immigrants of Jedaidat are a credit to the Syrians in every field
of endeavor.
It was most gratifying to learn of the extent of progressiveness among the inhabitants of Jedaidat. Here is a town that is
MM
I
�\\
APRIL, 1930
35
A general view of Jedaidat, taken from the highest hill of the
town which is to be soon converted to a reservoir through the
enterfrise of Jedaidat immigrants in America.
one-hundred per cent, literate. Education is paramount in the
mind of every citizen so that out of a population of two thousand,
the twelve hundred minors of school age all attend school. In
this respect it may be held out as the ideal town of Lebanon.
Another virtue of the citizens of Jedaidat is their civic pride
and patriotic solidarity. While entering the town I noticed a
beautiful cemetery, surrounded by a neat stone wall above which
could be seen stately cypresses and numerous elaborate tombstones. Inquiry revealed that all denominations, Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, had subordinated denominational differences to the creation of this civic enterprise.
Jedaidat supports two weekly newspapers, both well edited
and of good typographical appearance. They not only serve the
local community, but furnish the connecting link between the
town and its emigrant sons abroad.
_
Ceasar Rashid accompanied me on a visit to the Melchite
cathedral where we met the Rt. Rev. Clement Sayegh who had
just returned from a visit to South America. The bishop was
occupying temporary quarters while his residence was being rebuilt after it had been destroyed by the Druzes during their
occupation of Jedaidat in their last revolution. The church building during those eventful times was used as a stable, and the
I
�:^*y BaasMSM ': aaiBw
56
THE SYRIAN WORLD
mf!e*w;-
i
77;,* Old-Country conception of kaif—a picnicking party at the
headwaters of the Hasbani river on an improvised island-cafe.
Running water is music to Lebanese ears.
sacred vessels carried away. Bullet marks were still visible in
the dome and other parts of the church.
N. Farha treated me to a pleasant surprise. He led me up
the highest hill in Jedaidat commanding a superb view of the
countryside for miles around. "On this spot," he said, "we plan
to build a reservoir which not only will supply Jedaidat with
drinking water to be distributed in the homes, but also furnish
ample water for irrigation purposes. Water is plentiful in yonder river below, and the hydroelectric power we will generate
will serve both to supply the town with light and power and
serve to pump the water to the reservoir. Then this arid land
will be transformed into radiant gardens. We could ship the
produce to nearby and distant markets and can the remainder
according to American methods for home and foreign markets.
This will become possible when power is made available. Building of home industry is the salvation of the country."
Farha was a successful business man in the United States.
He returned to Lebanon early in 1929 to devote himself to the
promotion of this project in which he is being morally and financially supported by his fellow immigrants of Jedaidat in America. He has already secured the franchise from the Lebanese
government.
�APRIL, 1930
37
Part of the party at the Hasbani river during the editor's visit to
Jedaidat. Mr. Farha is the bare-headed man with glass in center.
Mrs. Farha is mixing the ingredients for the Kibbe.
With such initiative and enterprise, Jedaidat could be transformed into a garden spot.
The following morning we breakfasted at the modern home
of the Samras. The revolution had visited this, as well as many
other homes in Jedaidat, with either complete or partial destruction, and all are being rebuilt or repaired principally with funds
from America. Nejib Samra went back home for a visit a few
years ago, and his brother George undertook the same pilgrimage
last year, and each contributed to make the parental home a
model of modern comfort.
One is actually overwhelmed by the wholehearted hospitality
of the people of Jedaidat. I was anxious to cross early into Palestine, only a few miles distant, but they insisted on treating me
to a real picnic at the headwaters of the Hasbani River. Farha
was host on this occasion and the lambs slaughtered and the Kibbe
pounded and the Arac provided were sufficient to provision an
army. And we were in fact a small army and lived up to the
most accepted army traditions in this respect.
There must have been in Jedaidat at the time more than a
score who were returning from the United States alone for a
visit to the homeland. One of these was bent on roughing it to
the limit When the party broke up in the late afternoon he
despisingiy spurned the offer to ride back to town in an automo-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
38
bile. Shouldering his gun and rolling up his pants almost to
the knee, he hit the road alone with the assertion that he would
reach town before dark.
Close by Jedaidat is the town of Hasbaya which was the scene
of a bloody massacre during the uprising of 1860 and to which
we paid a short visit. Midway between Jedaidat and Hasbaya is
Kawkaba, whose inhabitants covered themselves with glory by
their valiant defense of their homes during the recent revolution. From time immemorial the history of that part of Syria
seems to be a continuous record of bloody feuds. I crossed the
border into Palestine that afternoon only to encounter another
bloody outbreak with the memorable Arab-Jewish riots of
August 23.
The Syrian Laborer
By
JONARD EGIS
"THE factory whistles shriek: it's five o'clock.
The mother lays her child in bed and goes
To heat the supper
"Liz, be sure to rock
The baby if he cries." Fair Lizbeth throws
Her doll aside and runs to baby's bed,
To look into his laughing eyes and say
That baby has the prettiest little head
In all the world. It seems, at end of day,
Her brother feels that father will arrive;
For now he smiles and waves his clenched fist
To show the world he's happy he's alive.
The mother looks outside: a treacherous mist
Pervades the streets
and father has not worn
His coat
She worries
In the hall she hears
His step
At last
the father's come. Man born
To work is he: a giant with no fears
—Except that one, of God. No school had he
In youth to aid him in his later life;
No books of science and philosophy;
Yet see what Life has granted him: a wife
Who loves, is faithful; children satisfied;
A place called Home to which he returns at night:
A happy, God-bless'd man, who spaces wide
Can face and shout that all on Earth is right.
it
�APRIL, 1930
39
Book Reviews
ANOTHER NOTABLE BOOK BY RIHANI
Around the Coasts of Arabia, by Ameen Rihani, New York,
Houghton Mifflin Company, 364 pp. $6.00.
ANY book by Ameen Rihani on Arabia is bound to be hailed as
a distinct contribution to Arabian lore. His former book entitled Maker of Modern Arabia, or Ibn Saoud, His Country and
His People, was considered the most notable addition in modern
times to the sum total of our knowledge on Arabia. And if it is
so considered with almost common consent it must rank among
the most notable contributions of all times, because Arabia remains today as in all times past the country of inscrutable mystery of whose forbidden interior only the most daring had ever
had a glimpse.
Not so, however, with our celebrated author and traveler
Rihani. He had access to every spot in Arabia with the exception
of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. And even these he
could have seen if he but wished to profess Islam, but this he
would not do not through any religious scruples, but simply because he would not buy a privilege on any condition. He is so
broad on matters religious that he could not conscientiously be
bound to any one creed.
Rihani's accounts of his Arabian experiences and adventures
lose nothing, however, through this seeming deficiency. Of the
two Moslem holy cities Mecca is by far the most important, and
Mecca is forbidden to all but Moslems, which puts it beyond
the immediate interest of travelers, while descriptions of it so
far published by Moslems and others have deprived it of a good
deal of its element of mystery. All other parts of Arabia, however, are lands of potentialities, yet only very little was known
about them. Never before, we believe, was such a comprehensive
account given of these parts of the world as in Rihani's recent
work.
.
,.,- j
Rihani is one of the very few contemporaries qualified to
speak authoritatively on modern Arabia. His travels in that
country were conducted under the most auspicious circumstances.y
T,rw-~i**"**-
�ammamm
40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
making it possible for him to learn and observe what the casual
traveler could never hope to know. He was the guest of the Arab
potentates wherever he went, inasmuch as his professed object
was to bring about a federation of Arab states. Arabic, besides,
being his native language, he was able to gather all his information first-hand.
While in his former work Rihani dealt with Ibn Saoud's
kingdom, in his other book just published he deals with all the
countries along the Arabian coasts. The book is in five parts, the
first dealing with the author's experiences while with King Husein in the Hijaz, the second while with the Adrisi, the third is
on the subject of Kuwait, the fourth about Bahrain and the fifth
about Aden and the Protectorates.
The book abounds with interesting information and anecdote.
Rihani in it is at his best and the reader finds himself fascinated
by the charm of description and the wealth of material. One
almost lives with the author those memorable days he spent with
each potentate, so vivid and gripping the style.
To our readers this, as well as other books by Rihani, should
have a special appeal. The author is one of us, and to share with
his host of admirers throughout the English-speaking world
their admiration of him is the least that could be expected of us
We should have his works not alone as a gesture of appreciation
but as a distinctive mark of culture in our homes and pride in
our men of outstanding achievement.
A USEFUL BOOK
The Syrian-American Directory Almanac for 1930, Arida and
Andria, New York, $2.50.
By the publication of this book, Nasib Arida and Sabri Andria have rendered the Syrian community a genuine service
which fills a Jong-felt want. The arrangement of the work is
comprehensive. It is divided into two main parts, the first being
in Arabic and containing much useful information serving as a
source of ready reference on Syrian history, political divisions of
the country and a historical sketch of Syrian immigration to
the United States, while the other section contains a business and
residential directory of Manhattan and Brooklyn in both Arabic
m
——
a
t
r
\
�I
APRIL, 1930
41
IF.
and English. This should prove invaluable for business purposes
whether for Syrian or American concerns wishing to circularize
the Syrians. The publishers promise to issue the directory annually, with additions that will gradually cover all parts of the
United States and perhaps, in time, Canada and Mexico.
With the appearance of Arida and Andria's publication, announcement was made of similar projects to.be undertaken locally
for the city of Detroit and the State of California. Naturally,
when the Syrian-American Directory is complete, as we hope it
will be in time, the other local directories will become unnecessary.
A Syrian-American Business Directory for all the United
States was published over twenty years ago by S. A. Mokarzel
and H. Otosh. It was discontinued after the first year for lack
of sufficient public support. Now, after the lapse of almost a
quarter of a century, we trust that the Syrian community will
appreciate the benefits of such a useful public enterprise sufficiently to lend it their support so that it may not prove as shortlived as its predecessor.
A BOOK ON RELIGION
The Pearl of Revelation, by Rev. Emmanuel Elkouri Hanna,
published by the author, 88 Washington St., New York City.
Rev. Emmanuel Elkouri Hanna is a Syrian Catholic missionary priest in America known among his friends for his original theories as to the High Priest Melkizadek. In the foreword
to his book he makes plain the fact that one of his principal objects in its publication is to "show who was Melkizadek and to
prove that he was a true man, a true priest and a true king having
a real father and mother." Other objects of the book are "to
prove that the sacrifices of the Old Law were real symbols of
our Divine Sacrifice, which is the Manna from Heaven; and that
the institution of the Holy Eucharist is Divine."
Church authorities and theologians are better judges of the
merits of such a work, and their approval is apparent from the
fact that it is published by the authority of His Eminence Cardinal Hayes of New York. The dedication is to the Rt. Rev. Joseph
Schrembs, bishop of Cleveland, Ohio.
�MM
42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ENGLISH AND ARABIC MANUAL
MB k a
G
eya by Ur A J ArbeeJ
~ N.^ Z
\y\~
ti
k
- - ^
M. Dwb, N. Y., 670 pp. $6.00.
Publisked by
The second edition of this useful book was published by N.
M . Diab, editor of the Mirror of the West, who bought the pub^
n
rl
^Jrpmtht estate of the author, the late Dr. Arbeely
I he second edition is printed from the original plates of the firk
and is in every respect similar to it.
I 7 ?A cArbeely was one of the first Syrian immigrants to the
United States Having had his English education in the mother!
land and following it up to a great deal of advantage in Amer-
MSST*qualified for such a difficult work as appears
Mainly, the object of the book is to serve as a self-instructor
m English to readers of Arabic. The lessons are simplified by
the= transliteration of the exercises and the giving of the pronunciation in both languages. In this respect it is one of the most
useful books to be had in its class.
An added advantage of the work is the appendix consisting
of forty pages intended to help English-speaking persons learn
the Arabic language. The same simple and effective method is
here lollowed as in the other part of the book dealing with the
teaching of English to Arabic-speaking persons
REVISED ENGLISH-ARABIC DICTIONARY
Ellas' Modem Dictionary, by Elias A. Elias, Ettas' Modern
Press, Cairo, Egypt.
Mr Elias' Dictionary is by no means the only one of its
nature, but it surely ranks among the best. In its revised form
appearing late in 1929, many corrections and additions have been
introduced making the work more serviceable and dependable
whether for the student or the scholar. The hundreds of illustrations occurring in it give it a decided advantage.
Other recent publications by this publishing concern include
Arabic translations of The Socialistic Movement, by Ramsay
MacDonald; A Monk's Romance, by Alexis Bouvier, and other
novels and works on sociology by English and French authors
�APRIL, 1930
43
EDITORIAL COMMENT
lished in a former issue a short
report by Miss Hilda Fox on
the Lebanon Hospital for
pOR Dr. Corban's enthusiasm
Mental diseases. We now wish
over the Lebanon Hospital to announce that we have refor Mental Diseases, otherwise ceived from Miss Fox a numknown as Asfuriyeh, there is a ber of copies of the latest report
plausible reason. He is a spec- on this institution for free disialist in mental diseases and is tribution. Anyone interested
in a position to appreciate the may write us for a copy and it
great need of such institutions. will be cheerfully sent him.
Mentally deranged persons are
We are again referring to
no longer considered, in this
advanced age, as being pos- this hospital apropos of the
sessed by the devil and shackled publication of Dr. Corban's
and confined to dungeons. communication on the subject.
Medical science, combined with We cannot too highly comhumanitarian treatment, has mend the active .interest which
restored many an unfortunate this New Zealand-born Lebto a normal condition of health. anese physician has taken in the
Neglect in the initial stages of promotion of this project. It
mental, as well as of other dis- would be most gratifying to
eases and physical irregulari- see some Syrian or Lebanese
ties, is bound to aggravate the physician in all other countries
patient's conditions and perhaps follow his lead. Such work falls
lead to an incurable state, naturally within the province
whereas scientific care, applied of medical men and they
in time, might prove the means should take the initiative in
promoting it. A physician apof a complete cure.
In our age of high-tension preciates more than any other
living, mental derangements the importance of mental hyand nervous breakdowns are giene and the necessity of such
more prevalent than in former humanitarian enterprises, and a
times. Hence the necessity of committee of physicians, if
greater attention and care, and formed for the purpose, should
the urgency of providing suit- find little difficulty in interestable means for the proper treat- ing our men of wealth in the
cause.
ment of mental ills.
Dr. Corban has taken the
THE SYRIAN WORLD pub-
ASFURIYEH
A CRITERION
�44
initiative in New Zealand. He
has succeeded in interesting the
local press and raising considerable funds. He has set the
goal for his campaign at $15,000.
A further and most important consideration is that we
cannot depend forever in the
upkeep of our educational and
humanitarian institutions on
foreign charity. All claim to
national pride and all assertion
of the right for independence
fail of their own weight when
we make no concrete move to
take care of our own public institutions.
Independence in
educational and charitable enterprises should even be more
important to us than economic
independence. The latter will
follow as a natural result of the
former. We cannot hope to develop a national consciousness
when our educational and charitable destinies are controlled
and directed by foreigners.
So far practically all institutions of higher education in
Syria have been established and
are still directed by foreigners,
principally missionary interests.
The same statement, with perhaps a few exceptions of recent
origin, applies to charitable enterprises. This condition of continued dependence on foreigners spells ill for the country's
future.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
But with the present awakening of national consciousness
this condition should not be
suffered to continue much
longer. Already we are extended the invitation to share in the
management, and ultimately to
assume complete control, of
many such institutions. We
would naturally retain for the
founders the gratitude due
their benevolent initiative, but
aside from that, control and
direction should be in our
hands. The American University of Beirut is one of the institutions coming under this
class—the last campaign to
raise funds from among its
alumni and their friends was
launched on this understanding. It was a clear invitation
to the natives to share in the
support and management of
the institution with the avowed
purpose of ultimately assuming
full control. Other institutions
may be expected to adopt the
same policy.
Our fate is in our own hands,
and it would behoove us to
ponder the result of our continued dependence on foreign
charity, and to seriously consider the effect of such dependence on our national character,
for then we might be prompted
to accelerate the movement for
educational and economic independence which we believe is
bound to come eventually.
�APRIL, 1930
POTENTIAL FIELD
45
would still have ten or fifteen
thousand Syrian-Americans of
a comparatively high standard
of education. Are these not sufficient as potential readers?
A correspondent from South
Africa writes that his greatest
regret is that he cannot compete in THE SYRIAN WORLD
What would seem to be the
contest for a free trip to Syria. greatest obstacle in reaching
This would indicate that the this large number of Syrians is
idea of a free trip finds favor that they are too widely scatwith lovers of travel, especially tered. But, on the other hand,
when travel is to the homeland that should be all the more
of one's ancestors. Here in reason why they should be
America we have had unstinted reached. Protracted isolation
praise of the idea. It is agreed will in time result in complete
that the prize is valuable, the loss of one's racial identity.
terms liberal and the object This would be unfortunate for
most worthy. But why no con- what it would mean in the futestant has so far approached ture. Knowledge and appreciathe goal we are at a loss to un- tion of one's ancestral backderstand, except that entrants ground is a decided asset in the
in the contest are unwilling or cosmopolitan nature of the
unable to give the work suf- American nation, and a symficient time and effort. Other- pathetic understanding of one's
wise the goal should be easy of racial cutlure would mean a
attainment. The excuse of distinct addition to American
hard times is not sufficient to culture now in process of forstand in the way of securing a mation.
hundred subscriptions.
Syrians in America can contribute
largely along this line.
Out of a total of 250,000
Syrians in the United States, It would be a sad commentary
100,000 at least are American- on our racial pride if we canborn. All these must have at- not be aroused to an adequate
tended school, and no less than appreciation of our singular
fifty per cent, must have grad- racial heritage.
We are only too anxious to
uated from high school. Pubhave
someone win the prize.
lication of THE SYRIAN WORLD
was undertaken primarily for But it is only reasonable that
this element. They should all in order to win one should
be potential readers. Even if show results commensurate
we were to concede a drastic with the value of the prize
reduction in this estimate we offered.
i
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Readers' Forum
SYRIAN SPECIALIST SUPPORTS
ASFURIYEH HOSPITAL PROJECT
Dr. Corban of New Zealand has
Faith that Syrians will not Be
Satisfied with Erection
of One Ward.
Editor The Syrian World
I was very glad indeed to see
commendable and honourable mention of the Lebanon Mental Hospital in your November issue. Unlike yourself, I have not yet had
the good fortune to pass by on the
Beirut-Damascus road and view in
reality what you bear witness to as
"the trim buildings, the well-kept
grounds, and the apparently contented inmates giving indications of
efficiency and benevolence in management." At the moment I cannot
think of any more worthy object
for interested Syrians to spend
their money on in their old
home'and, unless indeed it be
the direct relief of any of their own
relatives in necessitous circumstances. At heart the average Syrian is a supporter of good causes,
and often a builder of worthy structures. Before men had enough medical knowledge to take practical interest in cooperative healing, they
inclined more to the attractions of
religious belief, and sacred edifices
formed a common vehicle for expressing themselves. Then came general hospitals. Finally the most
highly specialized of all, dealing
with the mind—mental hospitals.
Religion, physical healing, mental
healing—a serial of progress in
three chapters. In all these the Arab
mind has played a significant role.
Dr. Withington in his book "Medical History from the Earliest
Times," states that "in an age when
no Christian monarch, with the rare
exceptions of Charlemagne and Alfred the Great, troubled himself in
the slightest about the education of
his subjects or the progress of science and literature, we find Caliph
after Caliph, and Vizier after Vizier
establishing schools and libraries
for the public benefit, and filling
their courts with pihysicians and
philosophers. Their remarkable generosity to the former would alone
entitle them to the gratitude of the
profession, and even had the Arabs
themselves made no scientific discoveries, they would at least deserve
the praise of having encouraged
others to do so."
Nearer home, we have the testimony of Usamah and others to show
that the older Arab physicians had
an intelligent conception of the
treatment of mental disorder. Are
we sufficiently honouring their skill
and wisdom by exercising in the
present generation more than a
passing interest in their achievements? A tendency of the present
age is to take the big things of
the past for granted while hurrying on to ultra modern stunts. With
what exuberance does the modern
Syrian scatter a few thousand dollars in a big to-do to express delight on some such occasion, say,
as a memorable air-journey by a
Carranza? When those in high
places pass by in the land, the Syrian is ready to meet and to fete.
\
f,'
�1"
APRIL, 1930
Of course open-heartedness can be
and is expressed in many channels.
One will build a neat new church
in his old native village; another
will be benevolent to a charity in
his new Western home. Being specially interested in mental hygiene I
perhaps run some risk of being
labelled biased, or of seeing the
world along one main path. As the
business man roughly classifies humanity for his purpose into those
who buy and those who sell, so I
suppose the doctor cleaves a line
between those who are sick and
those who are well; the psychiatrist
likewise into the more or less sane
and the more or less insane. The absence of any sharp-demarcated
boundary should make all thinking
folk attempt to visualize the aspect
from either side. Miss Hilda Fox's
article and your endorsement are
very timely and deserving of the
consideration of all Syrians Who
realize the necessity of dissimulating indifference to past heritages
from the illustrious Arabs, and the
urgency of present day claims to exercise the benevolent instinct in a
thoroughly sound channel. Only Miss
Fox was far too modest in suggesting the donation of one mere ward—
a good half dozen would better meet
the case. At our hospital here (Tokanui Mental Hospital, Kihikihi, N.
Z.) we have this week opened modern wards for over a hundred patients, and the extensions are contemplated to make provision for at
least a thousand. In addition, there
is also being erected a very fine new
nurses' home to house over sixty.
At the very least, a hospital like
Asfuriyeh wants its accommodation
douK • d almost right away. A hospital run on such amazingly sound
and proper lines should be as speedily as possible built up to a minimum
of five hundred beds. It would then
47
be in a position to make its facilities and amenities properly known,
and it could easily be filled within
a short time with all manner of
mental patients. This amplifying of
accommodations on the; very modern
system of detached wards (houses
or villas) allows both the proper
classification of patients according
to type, and the provision of more
homelike and curative features
without the evils of overcrowding.
Housing of staff is also most important—nurses deserve all the consideration that can be given to make
their work more efficient and pleasant to themselves and their charges.
The great object of a mental hospital is not much to harbour nervous
wrecks (the old idea, hence the term
asylum) as to cater to individuals
in the early stages of mental disorder and speedily return them to
their former useful spheres in a condition of normalcy. Mental hospitals
in the Near East are frightfully inadequate in accommodation when
measured by Western standards.
Whatever the French may have done
in Syria for the improvement and
betterment of its inhabitants, the
handling of the problem of mental
hygiene has not been one of their
strong points. The more the pity,
since it was a great Frenchman,
Philippe Pinel, who over a century
ago did much to bring the treatment of insanity into the high place
it now occupies. Contemporary with
him was the great English Quaker,
William Luke, who in 1792 established at York the long famous Retreat, a hospital in close sympathy
with that at Asfuriyeh.
Where others may have failed,
then, the Syrians the world over
now have upon them the duty of
focussing their attention and interest upon problems which are gaining
in importance and which merit con-
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
certed effort and action. I feel that "Western Civilization."
the greatest difficulty with the SyrDr. Bishara observed that Mozart
ians in the past has been insufficient and Beethoven were among the first
acquaintance with the problems con- great musicians who intuitively refronting them at home and abroad. cognized the inherent beauty and
For that reason alone they should dignity of Arabic musical themes.
support any magazine like The Syr- No nationalistic school of music has
ian World which coordinates thought
been able to escape the subtle fasciand action, and expounds and feanation of oriental melody. The Rustures those problems touching upon
sian school, which is preeminently
the welfare of the race. Therefore
oriental in tendency, is prominently
in view of the publicity which has
now been given to the Lebanon Hos- represented by the composer Rimpital in your pages, it would be dis- sky-Korsakov, who employs oriental
appointing if the assistance were themes in his "Scheherazade" symlimited to a single ward especially phonic suite. The Norwegian school
when there are probably patriotic is represented by Grieg with his
individuals who would be glad to "Peer Gynt" suite; the French school
personally donate a ward privately, contributed "Samson et Dalila" by
Saint-Saens, and the Spanish and
if only the claims are made suffiItalian
schools are likewise repreciently clear to them. I have nosented.
where else heard of such a good
In the classical works of Beethoward being able to be erected and
ven,
specifically where the minor
furnished for the very small sum of
signatures
are employed, we are
£'3000. But one feels that the Syrians abroad will miss no occasion frequently arrested by measures in
of showing that they will not let which Arabic themes are almost
such opportunities pass by without exclusively developed. In the hands
acquitting themselves honourably.
of this great genius the simple meloC. Assid Corban, M. B., Ch. B. dies of Syria and Arabia assume,
Kihikihi, New Zealand,
with their new harmonic embellishments, forms of entrancingly original euphony, making them equal if
ARABIC THEMES IN
not superior to other musical sysWESTERN MUSIC
tems. And it is in the spirit of admiration and gratitude that I feel,
Mozart and Beethoven recognized
and the Syrian world in general
their inherent beauty and dignity.
should feel, for the service rendered
by this great master, in whom no raEditor, The Syrian World:
The very interesting article con- cial prejudice existed, and who recogtributed by Dr. K. A. Bishara to a nized inherent beauty and worth
former issue of "The Syrian World" regardless of the source, that I have
impressed me as being decidedly inscribed the slight but sincere apopportune during the present period preciation which is enclosed.
Thomas Asa.
of racial agitation. The article furW.
Brownsville,
Pa.
ther emphasizes the incalculable influence the Arabic-speaking world
has had in the formation of what
is ambiguously designated the
Editor's Note—A poem by Mr.
Asa on Beethoven is published elsewhere in this issue.
h
(
1
�APRIL, 1930
49
Political Developments in Syria
PALESTINE
,
<
England has taken a definite
stand against the principal demand
of the Palestine Arabs looking
towards the establishment of representative government, for the prosecution of which they had sent a
delegation to London. The refusal
of England is based on the claim
that such a proposal is incompatible
with the requirements of the mandate. The mandate, on the other
hand, is an instrument entrusted to
England by the League of Nations,
and to act contrary to its provisions
would be a breach of trust. This
England will not undertake to do.
Lord Passfield, the Colonial Secretary, according to a dispatch to
the New York Times from London
under date of May 14, gave the
Grand Mufti and his colleagues of
the Palestine-Arab delegation a
sweeping rebuff, reaffirming the
fidelity of the MacDonald government to the Palestine mandate.
The Arab delegation had arrived
in London shortly before the publication of the Shaw commission's report. Among other things, the delegation urged the immediate creation of a Palestine Parliament in
which Arabs and Jews would be represented in proportion to their present population. This demand Great
Britain refuses to concede, as indicated by the following official statement of the Colonial office:
"The conversations which have
taken place in London between
members of the Government and the
Palestine Arab delegation are now
at an end. The delegation has expressed its views on a number of
subjects, particularly land, immi-
gration and the grant of a constitution. His Majesty's Government
has taken note of its view on these
subjects.
"It was pointed out to the delegation that the sweeping constitutional changes demanded by them
were wholly unacceptable since they
would have rendered it impossible
for His Majesty's Government to
carry out its obligations under the
terms of the mandate. It was made
clear that no proposals could be
considered which were incompatible
with the requirements of the mandate."
The Arab delegation made no attempt to conceal its bitterness at
this turn of events. It immediately
retaliated by the publication of the
following statement:
"We have decided to leave for
home with the-: impression that the
Palestine Arab case will not be
justly solved by the British Government, with which the Zionists have
such great influence as to hinder it
from doing justice or from removing injustices in our case. We are
convinced tJhat every Arab in Palestine prefers to die in defense of
his natural rights and existence
than to submit to the oppression inflicted by any measure of coercion.
As the Arab and Moslem worlds
are our co-partners in Palestine, it
is our duty to make them acquainted with the dangerous situation
threatening, the very existence of
their holy country and brother inhabitants."
The general impression in London is that the Palestine situation
is now worse than it ever was before. It is plain from the statement
�50
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the Arab delegation that they The Alshura, an Arabic newspaper
count on the support of their broth- in Cairo, which is the Palestine Arab
er Moslems in India whom England Nationalist's organ, has telegraphed
is endeavoring to play against the to London demanding the Arab poHindu followers of Mahatma Gan- litical delegation to return as a sign
dhi, in the present civil disobeof protest, while other Arab organs
dience movement. What success such declare the delegation ought to retactics will 'have is a matter of con- turn and devote itse'f to internal
jecture. It is plain however, that
activity which has been neglected in
neither the Arabs nor the Jews are the past few years, saying:
satisfied, the former because of the
"It is impossible to solve the Arab
denial of their demands and the
latter because of the nature of the problem in London as long as it remains unsolved in Jerusalem."
Shaw report.
New life seems to have been inThat Palestine is facing a new
jected
in the Palestine Arab cause
era of political disturbance owing
to the recent developments may be in America with the arrival in New
inferred from a dispatch to * the York, the latter part of April, of a
New York Times from its Jerusalem new Palestine-Arab delegation comcorrespondent dated April 10 which posed of Emir Adel Arslan and Issa
states that Mahatma Gandhi's cam- Bandak, editor of Sawt Ash-Shaab
(Voice of the People). Emir Arslan,
paign in India is having a considerhead of the delegation, is a brother
able effect upon the political conof
Emir Shakib who came to Amersciousness of the Near East. In Palica
on a similar mission in 1927.
estine, the correspondent further
He
took active part in the Dru/.e
reports, a new Arab political party
revolt
against the French in Syria
• ailed Isteqlal, (meaning independand
chose
voluntary exile with Sulence) intends to imitate Gandhi's
tan
Pasha
Atrash in the Arabian
methods to some extent and is ordesert.
ganizing ;i procession of youths in
In a public- statement which the
cities, towns and villages throughdelegation
gave to the Arabic press,
out Palestine similar to Gandhi's
inarch in India.
they declared that they represented
The Isteqlalists aim thus to re- the Central Arab Relief Committee
vive the movement against Arabs of Jerusalem which is the financial
selling their lands to Jews. The branch of the Central Arab Execuyouths will be called the "Arab tive Committee, and that their misDefense Army," and the party's sion was two-fold: first to collect
newspaper the Meraat Elsharq, has relief funds, and the second to lay
already appealed to Arab youths before the Palestine Arabs of Amerurging participation in the week- ica authentic information on conditions in the motherland in the hope
long march.
of enlisting their interest in the reAral, feeling in Palestine is greathabilitation of the country and inly aroused over Prime Minister
ducing theni to invest in its agriMad >ona Id's statement in the House
cultural development. Purchase of
of Commons that Britain does not
land by the Arabs, they insist, will
intend to relinquish her mandate or
not only result in considerable finabrogate the Balfour Declaration.
ancial profit to investors but will
•
3
�APRIL, 1930
51
27, 1927, and their resolve to extend
the hand of conciliation to the
French on an honorable basis.
Later elections were held to the
SYRIA
Constituent Assembly in which the
The official view of the Syrian Nationalists emerged victors and
Nationalist Party is that the polit- made a sincere attempt to interpret
ical situation in the country is the will of the nation in formulatgrowing more alarming. The nation ing the draft of the constitution.
is being driven to desperation by the Great was their surprise when they
continued inaction of the French were called upon to eliminate the six
authorities in finding a suitable principal clauses which the French
solution to the present difficulties claimed to be objectionable. Then
and the protracted silence of the followed the suspension of the AsHigh Commissioner is interpreted sembly for a period of three months
as bearing ominous portent. Never- and the growing gravity of the sittheless, the Syrian official stand is uation attending this troublesome
period was such as to tax the nathat of patient waiting.
The above conclusion is deduced tion's utmost patience. This proved
from the statement published in the conclusively, however, the nation's
aptitude to weather political crises
form of an open letter to the Syrian
nation by Hashem Bey El-Atassi, inasmuch as they retained their
leader of the Syrian Nationalist self-control in spite of the increasdevelopments.
Party and President of the Con- ingly aggravating
stituent Assembly, reporting the "We have repeatedly appealed to
result of his conversation with High the nation to be patient and it conCommissioner Ponsot upon the tinually showed admirable response,
latter's return from France. The but we now entertain the gravest
meeting took place in Beirut on fear that its patience will soon be
April 11 and El-Atassi's statement exhausted as a result of repeated
was published on the 15th. Through- disappointments."
out the document there runs a feelThe statement further points out
ing of deep disappointment and bit- that the Syrian nation adhered to
terness but hope is nevertheless its policy of peaceful cooperation
manifested in the ultimate success in spite of repeated adjournments
of the cause through the tradi- of the Assembly, hoping the French
will in the end act on their protional liberalism of France.
The Syrian leader prefaces his fessed good faith. This continued
statement by an account of the trials until Jan. 11, 1929, when the High
the
long
under which the country labored Commissioner offered
during the first eight years of awaited solution which proved only
French occupation, and in which a means for the annulment of the
there were continued efforts to reach whole constitution in that it suga proper solution of the political gested deferring action on the six
problem that would safeguard to objectionable clauses until after the
the nation its self-respect. The enactment of treaty relations bepacific intentions of the Syrians tween France and Syria. Still the
were demonstrated by the meeting Syrians showed patience and M.
of their leaders at Beirut on October Ponsot again sailed for France and
also have considerable effect on the
Arab cause politically.
:
[
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
the Syrians awaited his return with
high hopes. But weeks and months
passed without his undertaking a
move for the solution of the problem. Meanwhile the Executive Bureau of the Constituent Assembly
continued functioning within the
rights invested in it by the Assembly, and by this authority addressed
the High Commissioner suggesting
a conference. This took place in Beirut on April 11, and although it lasted over an hour all that could be
drawn out of the High Commissioner was the indefinite promise
of "undertaking soon a definite
solution of the problem based on the
same liberal attitude characterizing
his former policy."
At this point El-Atassi appeals
to the nation for further patience
and for the maintenance of the
spirit of solidarity which alone is
a guarantee of ultimate success.
"The history of nations is replete
with object lessons. No weakness
can overcome a nation unless that
nation becomes divided upon itself.
The greatest crisis in the life of any
nation is when it gives itself up to
internal quarrels and dissensions
and thereby lays itself open to the
designs of the foreigner. I would
exhort you to maintain your united
front as this is your best guarantee
of retelling the aggressor. This in
your hands is the most effective
weapon against force. For a solid
union I appeal to you, as well as forrising above personal rancor which
might stand in the way of such
union. The ground of your country
soaked with the blood of your martyrs cries loud to you to be solidly
united."
The French High Commissariat
maintained its habitual silence in
the face of these developments and
the only unconfirmed rumor ap-
mmm*
pearing in the press is that M. Ponsot is still studying the problem.
M. Ponsot paid a visit to Damascus
after his conference with the Syrian Nationalist leader but met there
only French officials. A current report is that he plans another visit
to Paris soon for a further conference with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
There is now in Syria a growing
tendency for joining the proposed
Arab federation under the leadership of King Ibn Saoud. Political
observers claim to see in this orientation of Syrian public opinion a
triumph of English diplomacy into
the hands of which the French are
playing unwittingly. England is now
at peace with the Arab elements and
if Syria were to be drawn into an
Arab federation France would find
herself facing a new problem which
would make her position in the
East extremely untenable.
LEBANON
The cabinet of August Pasha
Adib, formed March 25, submitted
its program to the Legislative Assembly on April 5 and was accorded
a vote of confidence. The same reform plans laid down by the Eddy
cabinet were adhered to with the exception of
those
objectionable
clauses which caused the latter's
downfall, especially those touching
on education. A new and serious
development in Lebanon is the advocacy by the Moslem element of a
change in the relations between
Lebanon and France to take the
form now existing between Iraq and
England. This movement is expected to meet with little success, but
it will tend to demonstrate to the
mandatory power the disastrous effects of its continued policy of
temporization.
-
�APRIL, 1930
5$
About Syria and Syrians
conceal the fact of his Syrian extraction. His affiliation with the
American-Syrian Federation and his
By the unanimous vote of the 54 sustained interest in all Syrian
members of the Republican Assem- public activities speak eloquently
bly District Committee of Brook- for his pride in his racial descent.
It is men such as he Who through
lyn present George C. Dagher was
elected executive member of the sheer personal ability and merit
gain the respect of the American
First Assembly District at a meetpublic
both for themselves and for
ing held on May 7, according to the
report of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle their race.
ond other metropolitan newspapers
Mr Dagher was elected to succeed
the late leader D. Harry Ralston
SYRIAN WOMAN LAWYER
who died April 4.
RECEIVES APPOINTMENT
The New York papers give long
Miss Emily Ferris, the only Syraccounts of the political and military careers of Mr. Dagher who has ian woman lawyer in New York,
been a resident of the district and was appointed Deputy Attorney
active in politics for twenty-five General for the State of New York
years and who saw service during to take office on May 1. She is to
be in charge of incompetency prothe war in an artillery regiment
The New York Syrian papers hail ceedings.
Miss Ferris has attained rapid
the election of Mr. Dagher to this
important post of leadership as success in her chosen career. Having
marking the first important success gained admission to the bar in Nebof a Syrian in national politics. The raska her native State, in 1926, she
American-Syrian
Federation
of moved to New York the following
year and in the same year was adBrooklyn, of which Mr. Dagher is
mitted
to the bar in the latter state.
a director, plans a dinner in his
She
is
a sister of the well-known
honor to be given at the Elks Club
Syrian New York lawyer Joseph W.
early in June.
Mr. Dagher is an example of the Ferris.
best type of Syrian-Americans. He
has served his country by enlistment during the war and is most SYRIAN PRINCESS
LECTURES ON SYRIA
active in serving it in politics in
times of peace. During his long
Emira Najla Bellamah of Montpolitical career his character has
real, Canada, has been giving a
been above reproach, and it was
series of lectures on Syria at the
through his sterling qualities that invitation of the Oriental Club of
he was elevated to the post of lead- McGill University of Montreal.
ership of his important district
Emira Bellamah come to America
without contest.
only a few years ago to join her
Mr. Dagher makes no attempt to
SYRIAN ELECTED
REPUBLICAN LEADER
�54
brother who is engaged in business
in Montreal. She knew very little of
English, although she had been engaged for a consideroble time in
editorial work in the mother country.
Her rapid mastery of the language
denotes the degree of her intelligence and application. The gifted
princess is to be congratulated on
her splendid efforts in bringing
obout a better knowledge of her
mother country to the people of
Canada.
SILVER JUBILEE OF
A MAKONITE PRIEST
Over one hundred and fifty guests
met at the Hotel Statler in Boston
on Sunday, April 27, to celebrate
the twenty-fifth anniversary of the
ordination of Chor-Bishop Stephen
El-Douaihy to
the
priesthood.
Among the celebrants were delegations from many distant cities.
Elias F. Shamon, President of the
Jubilee Association, was toastmaster. Speakers included Miss Labeebee A. J. Hanna, "An appreciation
of Monsignor Douaihy" followed by
a poem, "Planted in Lebanon"; ExCongressman Joseph A. Conry, former Ambassador to Russia; Rev.
Michael Saab; District Attorney
William J. Foley; Monsignor Abouzaid; Mrs. Mary Ahwaji; George
Faour; Mirshed Abdo; Joseph Reesha and Josepn J. Sarofeen.
Mgr. Douaihy was presented with
a gold purse which he immediately
pledged for the erection of a new
church and school.
In the course of his speech the
Hon. S. A. Conry said: "You should
not bend your knee to any. Your
race is as good as any of the others.
The teachings of your people have
been granted by parents who de-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
serve t'he greatest amount of respect. Developing fiction can not
equal the work of your country."
"The best sailors, from Tyre," he
continued, "had accomplishments
which have never been surpassed
The courage and bravery of the men
and the beauty of the women have
been unequaled by secular or religious history.
"The Irish have the greatest affection for you. We are related. The
Irish came from there originally—
the Phoenicians for old Erin. From
them the Irish descended.
"On behalf of His Honor Mayor
Curley, I re-welcome you here for a
strong building of the commonwealth."
District Attorney Foley said, "I
can honestly and sincerely say that
your people have given me less
trouble than any other people, and
I am proud of you."
NEW MILLION-DOLLAR
BANK IN SYRIA
The Arabic press of Beirut an^
nounces definitely the success of Mr.
Paul Knabenshu, former American
consul in Beirut and American consul in Jerusalem, in the organization of a Syrian-American bank with
a capitalization of $1,000,000.
Mr. Knabenshu had conceived the
idea of the bank when he was still
in Beirut, but owing to his transfer
was unable to complete the details.
The capital stock of the bank is
divided into twenty thousand shares
of $50.00 each, fifty per cent, of
which is reserved for American subscribers, forty for Syrians and Lebanese and ten for French.
The Syrian-Lebanese quota was
over-subscribed immediately
the
shares were offered.
!
�J
APRIL, 1930
Syrian papers further announce
that Mr. Knabenshu has sailed for
the United States to raise the necessaiy American quota. Mr. .). P.
Morgan is said to have consented
to act as chairman of the Board of
Directors.
RIHAN1 FETE I)
BY COUNTRYMEN
A correspondent in Los Angeles
writes that while in that city on
his Western lecture tour, our noted
author and traveler Ameen Rihani
was extended a banquet by the Syrian and Lebanese community at
the Hotel Roosevelt at which over
150 were present.
George A. Fuleihan of Hollywood
was master of ceremonies and introduced the speakers who included
Charles Andrews, P. A. Be Hennesy,
M. K. Doumani, Dr. A. S. Abdel
Nur, Charles Cressaty, S. K. Karam,
Miss Helen Gastine and Miss Margaret Andrews.
55
Readers of The Syrian World can
lend their co-operation to the cause
of better understanding between
the Syrians and other races by in
ducing their friends to tune in on
the coming talk of the editor which
is designed to show the Syrians in
their proper light.
SYRIAN JUNIOR LEAGUE
GIVES DINNER-DANCE
The Syrian Junior League of New
York gave a dinner-dance o.i the
roof garden of the Hotel St. George
in Brooklyn on May 10 which was
attended by 350 guests.
The Brooklyn department store at
Fredrick Loeser conducted the fashion parade held in conjunction with
the affair.
Miss Adele Macsoud, President of
the League, made a statement on
the organization's activities. The
speakers of the evening were William Catzeflis and Assad Milkie.
SYRIAN SOCIETY HOLDS
ELECTION ^AND DANCE
COMING RADIO TALK
P»Y S. W. EDITOR
The editor of The Syrian World
will speak over station WPCH in
New York City, at 4 P. M., on Sunday, June 8, on the subject of Syrians in New York City and the
United States. The program will be
under the auspices of the Young
Men's Christian Association and the
Reconciliation Trips.
Although this will be the second
time the editor will broadcast under
the auspices of the above named organizations, he has already given
many radio talks on Syria and the
Syrians since his return last year
from Syria.
The Syrian Young Men's Society
of Los Angeles, Cal., held its annual
meeting for the election of officers
for the season 1930-31, the successful ticket being as follows: Leon Saliba, President; Leo Saad, VicePresident; Samuel Mamey, Secretary; Elias Baker, Treasurer.
Previous to the induction of the
new regime, the society gave a
dance on April 30 at the Diana Studio Ballroom which was attended by
about five hundred of the best element of the Syrian community. Albert Dager acted as master of ceremonies for the evening and introduced both the retiring ond incoming officers.
�56
LEBANESE SCIENTIST
AIDED IN WORK
We are glad to copy from "Science," the official organ of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, the following
announcement appearing in its issue of April 25:
"The Committee on Scientific Research of the American Medical Association has made an appropriation
of $500 to the department of bacteriology of the School of Medicine
and Dentistry of the University of
Rochester at Rochester, N. Y., for
research on chemotherapy in tuberculosis. The grant is to aid the
work of Dr. George Knaysi, of the
New York State College of Agriculture, who has been granted leave
of absence by Cornell University
and will conduct his experiments at
the University of Rochester."
Dr. Knaysi plans a visit to Syria
this summer and will sail early in
June.
SYRIAN GIRL WINS
POPULARITY CONTEST
I
The Elk City Daily News of Elk
City, Oklahoma, announces in its issue of April 5 that Miss Vaughncille
Joseph and her co-worker, Miss Bessie Shadid, have won the beauty and
popularity contest conducted by the
leading mercantile establishments of
Elk City. The winners will accompany the Beauty Queens of fifteen
other cities of Oklohoma on an
eighteen-day tour of the Western
part of the United States. The whole
party is to consist of thirty-two
women who will travel in a private
pullman car.
Bessie is the daughter of Dr. and
Mrs. M. Shadid of Elk City. Miss
Joseph is a music teacher and a
THE SYRIAN WORLD
studio director of the radio broadcasting station KGMP. Both young
ladies are eighteen years of age
and graduates of high school.
SYRIAN BOY WINS
ORATORICAL CONTEST
The Lake Charles American-Press
of April 11 publishes on its first
page a picture of Edward L. Shaheen with the announcement that
he had won the State oratorical contest of Louisiana and was to go to
Kansas City to enter the zone contest to be held sometime in May.
Edward is a Syrian boy of nineteen who 'has been in this country
not over ten years and whose academic career has been one of extraordinary success. He is the son of
Louis Shaheen Baaclini of Bzebdin,
Lebanon.
SIX BROTHERS
IN ONE SCHOOL
The American University of Beirut is perhaps the only educational
institution in the world that can
claim the distinction of having six
brothers attending its classes at the
same time. They are the sons of Dr.
Dawud Suleiman Bulus who graduated from the University in 1905.
The boys range in age from six to
sixteen, and accommodations for all
are provided in the university.
Dr. Bulus has held many important medical posts in the Near East
and was a captain in the medical
corps of the Egyptian army. He is
now chief of the Haifa Hospital.
The delay attending the publication of this issue permits reporting
news for a part of May.
�I
APRIL, 1930
SOUND PICTURES AROUSE
INTEREST IN SYRIA
By Vice Consul D. F. MrGnnigal,
Beirut.
(From Commerce Reports)
The first talking pictures to be
shown in Syria were exhibited on
February 12, 1930, at a theater in
Beirut. The American sound system
was used. The program consisted of
an animated cartoon, a one-reel comedy, a news reel and an American
feature picture starring a famous
French actor. All were talking films
and all were in English with the
exception of a few songs and monologues in French.
The program aroused the enthusiasm of the local public and there
seemed to be little objection to the
fact that the dialogue was in English. The theater, which seats about
700, doubled its prices, increased the
number of its weekly performances
from 11 to 21, and extended the
showing of the program from 1 to
2 weeks. The average weekly receipts of the theater when showing
silent pictures is understood to have
been about $375, whereas the gross
receipts for the first week of the
talking picture is said to have been
$3,307 and $1,575 the second week.
The cost of the program for the two
weeks is reported to have been
about $1,000.
Other theater owners have been
impressed by the success of the
talking-film exhibition and are considering the installation of sound
equipment.
The local censorship law provides
for the showing of all pictures at
the French High Commission but
as the official projection hall is not
equipped to handle sound pictures,
the Beirut exhibitors arranged to
have the censors come to their thea-
$7
tor for the required examination.
Although no new official rulings
have been announced, it is understood by the exhibitors that a sound
picture found unsuitable will be rejected as a whole and no attempt
will be made to modify it in any
way, because of the technical difficulties involved.
It is too early to predict the effect
of the introduction of sound pictures into Syria on the market for
silent pictures, but it would appear
that the demand for silent pictures
will continue active for some time
to come.
SYRIA INVADED BY LOCUSTS
In spite of all efforts to check
their advance, the locusts are making considerable headway in their
invasion of Syria and Lebanon. The
latest reports indicate that swarms
of the pests have appeared in the
vicinity of Beirut. In the district of
Damascus they have invaded the
Ghouta, after having overrun the
plains of Hauran and Jebel Druze.
Further north they have reached
the outskirts of Aleppo.
The governments of all mandated
countries are taking the most energetic measures to destroy the eggs
before 'hatching in an effort to save
the crops.
REVIVING A DEAD
SYRIAN
CITY
The Syrian government is actively engaged in rebuilding the famous
city of Palmyra, once the capital of
Queen Zenobia who for a time successfully challenged the authority
of Rome. Already 100 lots have
been awarded settlers and 45 houses
built. The highway leading to Damascus is being paved and the debris of the old native houses removed from within the enclosure of
the Great Temple.
�58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION
of The Syrian World, published monthly at New York, N. Y., Apr. 1st,1930
STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK.
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he is the publisher of The Syrian
World, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief,
a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a da.ly paper, the
circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the
above caption, required by the Act of August .24, 1921, embodied in section
411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of th s form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing
editor, and business managers are:
Name of—
Post office address—
Publisher, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salioum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum A. Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Business Managers, Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenw.ch Street.
2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent, or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company or other unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each individual
member, mhst be given.)
Salloum A. Mokarzel,
104 Greenwich Street.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent, or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other secur.ties are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, security holders, if any, contain not only the list of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting is
given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the
books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity
other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest
direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds or other securities than as so
stated by him.
5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. Mokarzel.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 11th day of April, 1930.
[SEAL]
EDNA M. HUCKER,
(My commission expires March 30, 1932.)
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1930_04reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 04, Issue 08
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1930 April
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 4 Issue 08 of The Syrian World published April 1930. The issue opens with an interview conducted by Salloum Mokarzel with El-Atassi, a Syrian Nationalist Leader and President of the Constituent assembly. This is followed by a quote by Kahlil Gibran titled "Helpfulness." The most important article in this issue is Rev. W. A. Mansur's writing about the transitional period occurring in America
in his story he has a Syrian character deliver an imaginary speech to the United States Senate, apropos of some derogatory remarks made against Syrians in America. This is followed by two poems, one by Najla Sabe and the other by Paul Deab. Louis Maron then presents one of his short stories titled "The Return Home," which recounts the story of a boy named Najib and his journey back and forth between Lebanon and the United States over several years. Salloum Mokarzel, the editor, then presents another portion of his journey through Lebanon, covering his travels from Beirut to the Palestine border. The last work in the issue is a poem by Jonard Egis (using a nom de plume) titled "The Syrian Laborer." The issue closes with the Reader's Forum, excerpts from the Arab press, and more on political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1930s
El-Atassi
Immigration
Kahlil Gibran
Lebanon
Najla Sabe
New York
Palestine
Paul Deab
Poetry-English
Reverend W.A. Mansur
Travel
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/63ffce430152067ce818024332683023.pdf
ffba7148af6cb7b29c383e692199a963
PDF Text
Text
SEPTEV
VOL. IV. NO. l.(
THE
4
I
SYRIAN WORI
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH D
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITE
4
i
ON THE WAY TO SYRIA
THE EDITOR
THROUGH PALESTINE DURI
RECENT UPRISING
MANDATES IN THE NI
AMEEN RIHANI
ISAF (A SHORT SI
LABEEBEE A. J. H
)LITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
ABOUT SYRIA AND S
THE COPY
��T!-?S NFW YCF.t
C LIBRARY
9577A
THE
ASTOR, LENOX AND
T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS
R
1930
L
SYRIAN WOKEB
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March
3, 1879.
VOL. IV. NO. 1.
SEPTEMBER, 1929.
CONTENTS
PAGE
On the Way to Syria
3
THE EDITOR
Fire — A Riddle
Translated from the Arabic by J. D.
Mandates in the Near East
16
CARLYLE
17
AMEEN RIHANI
Arab Proverbs
23
Thwarted (Poem)
24
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Isaf (A Short Story)
LABEEBEE
25
A. J. HANNA
�__————-——
CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
Success (Poem)
29
THOMAS ASA
Beyond (Poem)
29
ALICE MCGEORGE
Through Palestine During the Recent Uprising
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
30
Books and Authors
4-0
Editorial Comment
Grateful Acknowledgment
The Editor's Itinerary Abroad
43
44
Spirit of the Syrian Press
46
Political Developments in Syria
49
About Syria and Syrians
51
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Syrians Dancing the Dabke
Reception in Honor of King Fuad I
DATES OF PUBLICATION
Due to unforeseen conditions resulting from the
editor's extended absence abroad, publication of the
September number of THE SYRIAN WORLD was delayed until the end of October. An attempt will be made,
however, to issue future numbers at less than a month's
interval in the hope of coming up to our regular schedule before the first of the year.
�Mfc.
THE
SYRIAN WORL
VOL. IV. No. 1.
SEPTEMBER, 1929.
On the Way to Syria
A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE EDITOR'S
TRIP ABROAD
By THE EDITOR
Note—Syria being our ultimate destination and the country in which
we are chiefly interested, a description of the first leg of our voyage up to
our arrival must necessarily be brief, serving only as an introduction to
the more lengthy accounts that are to come.
s. A. M.
I
QUR eventful voyage began on July 2nd. The term eventful
is^ used here advisedly in the sense that the voyage was replete
with interesting events, especially to one who had not taken a trip
abroad in thirty years and whose knowledge had been confined to
book information based on the observations of others. The prospects, therefore, of going out into the big, broad world; of feeling anew the sensation attending an ocean voyage; of visiting
countries strange yet familiar, having a hoary history yet just
being reborn again to new conditions and to a new life; of visiting ancestral lands which have been hallowed by the most glowing accounts of recorded history; of seeing the remains of a once
astonishing civilization which have withstood the ravages of centuries and which still bewilder and perplex modern man at the
contemplation of the work of his distant ancestor for his vastness
of conception and his masterly execution; all these prospects
keyed one's expectations to the highest pitch and created a happy
disposition to appreciate the many surprisingly delightful treats
that were to come.
�•mmmmmim
4
THE SYRIAN WORtD
Most of the passengers being American tourists or returning
emigrants, and all under the entrancing spell of the same expectations, the atmosphere on board the S. S. Providence of the Fabre
Line was a particularly buoyant and happy one. Farewells were
taken not amid tears but with radiant smiles. The milling throng
on board and on the dock was in holiday spirits. It was rather
a disappointment on the p'art of the stay-at-homes at not being
able to join those departing. Not even when the shrill siren of
the big steamer gave its first warning blast was there a tear shed;
not even when it cast off its moorings and began to move slowly
away from the dock. The waving of hands and handkerchiefs
was almost one of glee. Why not when the season for travel
was so propitious and the trip so promising?
The morning of the next day we were in Boston. It is one
thing to travel to the Hub City by land and another to approach
it by water. Its sight is most impressive. One can detect in it
even some imposing skyscrapers, which proves that its commercial aspirations, as well as its intellectual achievements, run high.
It supplied us with a substantial quota of our passenger list, who
proved, as the voyage proceeded, to be very human and sociable.
The young college girls from Boston and vicinity were not exactly a terror, but they did not suffer from lack of life. They
could execute the latest step in dancing, and they could talk any
professor to a standstill on any subject. They represented the
modern American girl in her happiest form, and they were fit
ambassadors of modern American feminine culture abroad.
But that was not all. We had on board as many types as we
had classes, if not more. The cosmopolitan nature of our passenger list was surprising. For we had a Catholic bishop and
several priests; Protestant ministers of all denominations; professors, teachers, high school principals, and mere worldly laymen and laywomen. The ensemble was a gorgeous affair which
amalgamated easily in spite of the differences in sex, social position and creed. I saw Protestant ministers attend regularly Catholic mass, and many Catholic laymen regularly attend Protestant
services. Priests and ministers even came together and talked
politics and religion, and, thanks to the presence of a Jewish
Rabbi and his talented wife who made no secret of her zeal for
the Zionist cause, the relative merits of Moses and Jesus were
not infrequently given a public trial. The lady, however, could
not understand why anybody but the Jews should have a right
» >
, '
�w
SEPTEMBER, 1929
1
$
of claim to Palestine, holding that not only was it promised to
them by God, but that they were its first settlers, whose claim
to possession should be valid even after the lapse of two thousand years. She was gently reminded that the Jews came into
possession of the country as invaders and conquerors, and that
prior to their occupation the country was densely settled by other
races. The Bible was extensively quoted to prove this fact, but
only on the admonition of her learned husband that "Yes, dear,
our forefathers originally came into the country as invaders and
conquerors," would she own that Palestine, at various times, belonged to other races.
This, of course, was a mere incident and served but to add
to the various interesting aspects of the voyage. The congeniality and goodfellowship of the passengers was evident always
and everywhere. Even what later proved to be a most humorous
incident when a septuagenarian Jewish patriarch mistook the
reflection of the stairs in the wall mirror for a continuation of
the steps and plunged headlong down the whole flight of ten
steps, then rolled down from the lower landing over another
four steps, only occasioned heartfelt pity. The venerable patriarch was on his way to the land of his ancestors in the hope of
being near when time came to be gathered to them and before the
sounding of the last trumpet, but while on board it occurred to
him to make an inspection of all the quarters of the curious floating thing which was carrying him towards his destiny. Acting
on this impulse, he awaited the opportunity when most of the passengers were at lunch and climbed the steep stairs from the third
class quarters until he reached deck A, where he sauntered around
for a while and then entered the smoking room. He saw that
the hall was long and did not bother to count his steps, and while
admiring the beautiful decorations about he suddenly took the
dangerous plunge and found himself moaning and groaning at
the lower landing.
This account would not be written in such vein but for the
happy ending of the incident. The patriarch was but a mere skeleton of skin and bones and was easily carried up to a comfortable
chair in the smoking room. There he began a systematic series
of physical examinations, testing first the right arm, then the
leftj raising one leg at a time, and bending, kicking and twisting itj then feeling his ribs one by one to see if they were all
sound, and finally taking a deep breath to insure that his heart
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
and lungs were functioning properly. During all these tests the
circle of worried passengers which had formed about him were
breathless in their anticipation, but their fears were dispelled
when, after his exhaustive tests, the venerable patriarch beamed
with joy and executed a sprightly dance. He then began to tell
volubly of his plans j how after a lifetime of labor and economy
in America he had acquired possession of two small buildings,
somewhere in Chicago or vicinity} and how he expected to derive
from these buildings a steady income of six dollars a week on
which he was assured he could live comfortably in Jerusalem.
When he was affectionately told that he must have led a most
worthy life for God to have spared him until he reached Jerusalem where he would be buried in the ancestral land of his people, instead of dying at sea and being thrown to the fish, he
seemed to more fully appreciate the gravity of the danger to
which he had been exposed and thanked God anew for his safety.
As the voyage progressed the passengers indulged in all forms
of diversions. The most fascinating, perhaps, was the dabke
dance performed by the Syrians. Being on the way back to their
homeland, they loved to evoke memories of their earlier associations in life, and the dabke was the one form of folk dance which
aroused m them the tenderest spiritual emotions. And they were
not long in finding the necessary requisites. An old man who,
perhaps, had not acquired much of his new surroundings other
than some American money and an American garb, produced a
reed flute. A circle soon formed which proved that these returning immigrants had lost neither their love for their folk songs
and dances nor the rhythm of their motion. It was not long before a crowd collected to watch and admire them. The flute
player obligingly posed for photographs in the kneeling position he assumes during the height of the performance and was
slightly disappointed when he discovered he could not be given
a copy immediately.
Then it was the turn of the Jews to claim a right to the ship
and to public attention, and they took it with determination No
sooner had the Syrians started their dance than they began
giving exhibitions of their own. Both the Syrians and Jews being Semitic their dances, like many of their other characteristics,
must have had a common origin. Certainly the dabke and the
hora were performed in much the same manner. The dancers in both instances formed into a circle, holding hands, with a
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�SEPTEMBER, 1929
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leader to cheer and inspire. Their steps were well measured,
although they covered very little distance. It became evident
as the dance progressed that the vocal accompaniment was a necessary requisite. The dancers raised their steps higher and
stamped harder as they became more and more enthused by the
words of the song. In one main feature, however, the Syrian
and Jewish dances differ, and that is in the tone and volume of
the singing. In the dabke the leader alone sings the verses while
the circle of dancers repeat the chorus, while in the hora all
verses are sung in unison. On one particular occasion two performances of the Syrian and Jewish dances were staged at one
time, the Jews following close on the formation of the Syrian
circle, and the amount of noise the Jews created soon drowned
the softer strains of the Syrian song.
This was by no means the only form of entertainment. There
was dancing and music and moving pictures and games of many
descriptions. A Syrian first-class passenger won the championship in shufHeboard. He was of a most genial disposition and
consented to being awarded a medal. For lack of the necessary
facilities and material for casting an appropriate medal of metal
one of cardboard had to be devised. A resourceful Wall Street*
broker conceived the happy idea, and his pretty and willing wife
proceeded to put it into execution. With consummate artistic
skill she carved the medal in the shape of a huge star, and with
deft and dainty fingers executed the colored designs and knotted
the ribbons. The presentation address was delivered in the main
dining hall by the ranking Protestant minister on board, who
showed in so doing no mean ability to rise to the appropriateness
of the occasion, while genial Captain Vidal pinned the medal
on the breast of the worthy champion.
Far be it from us to claim for Syrians what does not rightly
belong to them, but in the interest of record we find it necessary
to further state that a Syrian also was almost unanimously acknowledged the finest specimen on board of masculine pulchritude. Athletic of build, affable of disposition and generous with
his money, of which, it may be said, he had aplenty, his popularity soon became evident. His intellectual equipment added
to his personal charm, and, naturally, he was a favorite with the
ladies. At the masquerade ball given before the ship reached
Lisbon, he dressed as an Arab sheikh, winding a curtain for a
turban, using a silk bathrobe for dress, and a red scarf borrowed
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from a lady for a sash. He proved the center of attraction.
Captain Vidal proved a most capable, popular and resourceful commander. He appreciated the cosmopolitan nature of his
passengers and provided them with diversions to suit their tastes.
There being on board a goodly representation of the intellectual
class: college professors, high-school principals, teachers, ministers and students, he arranged for them a program of highly
instructive lectures, for which he drew on both the ship's talent
and on the passenger list. It was the intention to give a series
of comprehensive talks on the countries we were to touch upon.
While the Portuguese and Italian ship's physician spoke on their
respective countries, a Jewish rabbi spoke on Palestine and the
editor of The Syrian World on Syria and Lebanon. The various lectures gave rise later to many interesting group and individual discussions.
Thus passed the first leg of our journey. The passage from
New York to the Azores occupied eight days. The ocean had
lost its terrors or had exceptionally favored the "Providence"
and its holiday company. The only ripple on the surface of the
water was that caused by the prow of the ship or the sportive
jumps and dives of the numerous schools of purpoises. A
whale once appeared to give a little variety. The skies were
beautifully clear and it was a delight to watch the perfect sunsets. Not onpe did it rain or even threaten to. Travel in summer
by the southern Atlantic route is certainly a source of continuous pleasure.
Under the conditions, sight of land caused but slight excitement. The seafarer's joy at the first sight of land is but an
expression of relief from the monotonous or dangerous sea journey. But the sea had given us cause neither for fear nor ennui j
rather, the steady riding of the ship and the many entertainments provided and the pleasant personal relations formed
prompted a desire for an extension of the voyage.
The island of St. Michel gradually loomed bigger as we
approached until we could distinguish Ponta Delgada. The
little city was fascinating in its picturesqueness—a pile of multicolored houses some of which rose directly from the sea, giving
the impression that they once formed a part of the fortifications.
On an eminence stood a church which, we were told, dates back
to the earlier days of the discovery of the Azores in 1432.
While the ship was unloading freight we had an opportunity
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to go ashore. Almost all of us made a bee line to the post office
to mail letters and cards. We had been away from home too
short a time to neglect the duty of writing, and while at sea,
there had been left a few spare moments in which to do it.
This done, we dispersed in small parties and went sight-seeing. Our own party consisted of five, none of whom could speak
a word of Portuguese, and the driver could understand not a
word of English or any other language we knew. But we had
a merry time of it, especially when we attempted to instruct the
driver to take us out into the country. With us was a Hebrew
scholar who could also speak German, and besides our common
knowledge of English, we had command of French, Arabic and
some faltering Spanish. But do what we could, we failed to
make ourselves understood. We quoted many terms, some in
earnest and others in jest, giving them Spanish terminations:
country, terra, camfagna, environs, suburbs, hors de ville, and
some other tefms which caused us, at least, no end of amusement. Still the driver kept on taking us up one narrow street
and down another until the whole thing became monotonous and
we motioned him back in the direction of the ship.
Our drive through the city was not, however, devoid of
incident. Occupying the center of the back seat in the open car
was our handsome Syrian sheikh, and he very soon became the
center of attraction. Pretty senoritas, or whatever they call
them in Portuguese, who peeped out of their windows or over
their high garden walls, began to pelt us with a variety of flowers. Lilies, roses and daisies the size of saucers soon filled the car.
Some of them even threw kisses and immediately disappeared
behind their shutters. The generous disposition of the people
took such proportions that we entertained fears they might even
pelt us with some of the big, luscious pineapples for which their
island is famous.
The streets of Ponta Delgada are narrow and uninviting.
The people we found untidy, due, perhaps, to the fact that we
were making a fresh comparison with America. Everywhere
there were urchins who held out their hands and begged for
money. At every turn and every alley you encountered them,
with but the single word on their lips, "money." We could not
possibly begin by giving one for fear of collecting a whole army
of beggars about us.
But in this dismal setting there was a sudden flash of mod-
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
ernity. From a dilapidated house in one of the narrow streets
emerged a beautiful young woman dressed in the height of fashion. She appeared as if she had just stepped from the pages of
the latest edition of a fashion magazine. How do they manage
it, these women of a lonely and forsaken island almost out of
touch with civilization? But the ingenuity and vanity of women
is one thing we should not question.
On the way back to the wharf, we encountered another returning party who had met with an experience similar to ours
with a dumb driver, and who suggested that we repair to a cafe
close by. Why not, when we were Americans on a spree and
there was still an hour to spare? So to the little cafe we repaired
and began to sample the different wines. Certainly they were
tasty and effective. An elderly gentleman in dapper clothes who
spoke English volunteered his advice as a connoisseur in wines.
He had been in dry Boston and was now back in his native land
just to enjoy its fine vintage. He insisted on treating, as did
every one of us in good, old American fashion, and by the time
the ship's whistle gave its warning blast we all felt as though
we could float back on our own spirits!
Once on board, I sought the ship's Portuguese physician and
asKed enlightenment on the Portuguese term for country. The
memory of our dismal failure still haunted me. I may never
have a chance to use it again, but I was incurably curious.
The doctor obligingly explained that the Portuguese term
for countryside was "pays," just as it is in French; but why we
had not thought of it is one of those ironies of fate which cannot
be explained.
One thing led to another. I had read in literature on the
Azores that the name in Portuguese meant falcon. The word
not only m its sound but in its meaning, is Arabic. I expounded
my theory on the philology of the name to the doctor and he
explained that owing to the long occupation of Portugal bv the
Arabs the Portuguese language contained many wordc of Arabic
ongn. This condition existed long before the discovery of the
Azores when the Arabic words in Portuguese, by reason of common use, became integral. Upon the discovery of the islands
tftey were found to abound with the falcon, and they were named
after rhe bird.
The word Azores is spelled in Portuguese Acores. In Arabic the name for falcon is As-Saqr. «A1" being the article in
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Arabic, the letter "1" is omitted whenever the article occurs befoie so-called sun or "Shams" letters. The "Sad" is one such
letter and it occurs at the beginning of the Arabic name for falcon "Saqr." Furthermore, the difference in sound between the
"s" and the "c" corresponds exactly to that between the letters
"seen" and "sad" in Arabic, which is further proof of the Arabic
origin of the word. The "s" at the end is the common plural
sign.
It is not the claim that the islands have any connection with
Arabic influence, but that the name has.
Another short sail under ideal weather conditions brought
us to the beautiful port of Lisbon, on the river Tejo. The panorama of the city, to use the term frequently employed in the
official English guidebook, is "explendid." If the reader is in
doubt as to the meaning of the word, he may consult his dictionary, but we took it to mean splendid, which in fact the panoramic view was. The numerous hills which projected gently
amidst and around it were crowned either with castle or with
old forts, and pleasantly broke up the vastness of the city which
claims a population of a million. The tower of Belem stands
majestic and beautiful in her white robe at the harbor entrance.
Our ultimate objective being Syria and Lebanon, and having
in mind the analogous historical background of old Phoenicia and
Portgual in maritime exploits, we were strongly inclined to make
comparisons. We were surprised to discover, for instance, that
the present area of Portgual is much less than that of the Republic of Grand Lebanon, being only 154 kilometers at its greatest length (Melgaco-Faro) and 75 kilometers at its greatest
width (Espozende-Mirando do douro). The population is approximately 6,100,000.
Lebanon, which is but a part of Syria, is about 280 by something over 100 kilometers. It is the land of the Phoenicians
whose maritime exploits rival if they do not exceed those of the
Portuguese. The present population of the whole country does
not exceed 700,000.
In Lisbon we spent a day, and it was a crowded one. One of
the principal sights of the city, by common agreement among
those who had made an earlier visit, was the suburb of Cintra,
the once summer resort of Portuguese royalty. So to Cintra
we went driving through some fine squares and avenues of the
city, principally that of the Avenue of the Republic. The sur-
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
rounding country is most picturesque, abounding in sweet-smelling pine groves. The people of the countryside seem to have
lost none of their romantic characteristics, and many peasants
were encountered along the road who were dressed in their
multi-colored costumes and were either driving primitive carts
or leading oxen. We were told that bulls in Portgual were not
permitted on the highways unless led, otherwise they had to be
driven along a parallel pathway. There had been too many
accidents by bulls charging into passing automobiles.
Cintra is a magnificent resort. Long before reaching it one
observes two huge and almost monumental chimneys, conical in
shape and rising to a great height, issuing from a group of buildings which was once the Dowager Queen's palace. We later
discovered that they were but great ducts designed to absorb the
fumes of the enormous kitchen.
The Queen's Palace fades into insignificance when one later
comes in view of the barbaric grandeur of Pena Castle. This
is reached by a steep winding road through dense forests or
walled gardens, where the grandees of the court built themselves
beautiful villas surrounding Castle Mill. The Castle itself is a
mass of incongruities, but greatly impressive in sections. The
entrance is a winding, vaulted passageway of great height, leading to a spacious court. The walls of the old building rise directly from the edge of a perpendicular cliff, and when one
slowly and nervously makes his way to the top of the great dome,
a superb view is afforded of both land and sea. The King who
chose this spot used it as an observation post when watching for
his incoming fleet.
The sights of Lisbon are varied and interestnig. After visiting Cintra and Pena we yet had time to visit Jeronimous, that
cluster of beautiful buildings which once were a monastery, now
turned into orphanage and museum. The inner court of the
main building, where played at the time of our visit several hundred young boys, is a marvel of detail of execution. Not two of
the columns are alike and many there are which are entwined
in formation and fashioned from a single stone. The symbols
were mostly of a nautical nature, intended to carry out the general scheme of Portuguese maritime enterprise. Several rooms
were set apart as a national pantheon, in which reposed the remains of Vasco de Gama, the great navigator, and other Portuguese patriots, poets and historians.
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Some of the passengers had chosen to tarry in the city and
take a dip in the surf, the heat being rather uncomfortable. But
although others had travelled far afield, all were able to regain
the steamer on schedule. The breeze, immediately the steamer
weighed anchor, was a welcome relief. That night we doubly
appreciated the benefits of being at sea.
Our next step was at Naples. The approach to the harbor
is a sight never to be forgotten. Close on both sides rose beautiful land robed in delicate green, bathed in golden sunshine,
wafting a scented, cool breeze—a veritable delight to the senses.
Then rose into sight, imposing and ominous, the famous Vesuvius. It looked from the distance so close to the great city by
the sea that one wondered how the latter could escape its wrath
when in eruption. By unanimous decision a visit to Pompeii,
the famous victim of the great volcano, was first choice with all
onboard.
Our landing at Naples was effected speedily and smoothly.
The Italian government has abolished certain passport regulations, and the simple formalities attending the disembarkation
of transients enabled us a substantial saving in time. Once on
land we broke up into convenient small parties to make the trip
by automobile to Pompeii.
Along the wharf had gathered a large group of urchins who
milled and fought and gesticulated in traditional Italian form
offering their services to the passengers. Most of them spoke
English, and when one of them was asked if he had learned the
language in America, he explained that he had never been away
from Naples, and that he picked up his knowledge along the
waterfront through contact with sailors and tourists. He said
he was fourteen but looked eight, and he flavored his English
with delectable American slang. He was also a good judge of
American money values, and a small tip in payment for the
information he had given drew a sneer.
On the way to Pompeii we went through a section of old
Naples, past beautiful churches and quaint little courts and open
markets and ever so many statues of saints reposing either on
individual altars or in niches in the walls of private buildings.
On that particular day, July 16th, there were preparations for
celebrating the feast day of one of the local patron saints, and
they were being undertaken in conformity with all known Italian traditions of this nature. The square was bedecked with
�14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
bunting and strung with thousands of colored electric lights.
The facade of the church was almost fully draped in cloth of
vivid colors, and the streets opening on the square were a beehive of activity.
We emerged into a wide street leading out of the city. The
dust raised by passing carts and automobiles and flocks of sheep
and goats was blinding. Our guide must have been a bacteriologist or a specialist in hygiene, for he took great pains to allay
our fears, assuring us that the dust of Naples was "clean dust,"
and that we need have no concern over its effect.
We were not so much concerned over its possibilities of contagion, as over its dirty inconveniences.
We soon reached the fine new toll road which, to our relief,
had been opened only a week since between Naples and Pompeii.
Automobiles were tearing down the road at the rate of sixty and
seventy kilometers, not to take into account the pace of the frequent spurts when the hot blood of Italian drivers seemed to be
transmitted to their motors. At times we thought we would not
mind either foregoing the visit to Pompeii or missing our ship.
But we landed safely at a new, clean hotel at the entrance
of the Pompeii enclosure, where we were asked to have an early
lunch to conserve our time for the tour of the dead city. During that brief half-hour we must have heard all the strains of
classical and popular music, opening and ending with O Solo Mio.
Of course, the hat was passed around.
Pompeii is an impressive and instructive sight. From it one
can gain a clear insight as to the mode of life of the ancient
Romans. Some of the dwellings have been retrieved almost intact, with their lead piping, mural paintings and mosaic work in
almost perfect state of preservation. In one such house they
now grow flowers in the inner court as it must have been two
thousand years ago. If the city were only roofed it would again
become inhabitable.
Pompeii has no great temples or other public buildings of outstanding architectural or artistic distinction. Its importance lies
in the fact that it is a city buried whole and recovered whole
after so many centuries. The Pompeii museum is of great archseologic and historical interest.
Our next port of call was Palermo, the really city beautiful.
Its clean streets, well dressed shops and magnificent public buildings are a delight to the eye. The old Saracen Palace of dis-
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SEPTEMBER, 1929
15
tinctive Moorish architecture remains one of the wonders of the
city. But we were advised to see first the beautiful cathedral of
Monreale, and it was excellent advice. The church is situated
at about an hour's drive from the city, on a ledge in the mountain reached by a fine road, amidst beautiful fields and gardens.
For a work of mosaic we were told it stood first in its class in the
world, and it looked the part. Almost every inch of ceiling,
floor, columns and walls is covered with the beautiful work in
masterly execution and extremely fine design. The colors seem,
as bright now as when first set, and the hour we spert there
admiring this wonder of delicate and skillful workmanship was
most profitable.
The legend bearing on the erection of this church is that a
certain Saxon king of Sicily buried somewhere vast treasures without leaving any record as to their whereabouts. His son, who succeeded him, had an apparition by the Virgin directing him to dig
for the treasures under a certain tree. When he dismissed the
vision as a dream, the Virgin again appeared to him and his resultant search for the cache met with success. Out of gratitude
to the Virgin for her favor he devoted the whole of the vast sum
he had unearthed to the erection of a basilica to her on the spot
of the discovery. The building he started took two-hundred
years to complete, but it proved well worth the pains.
We passed through the straits of Messina by night, and the
illuminated coastline, the sharp silhouetting of the rugged mountain skyline against the clear ephemerical sky of southern Italy,
was a feast to the senses.
Early in the morning of July 19th, we reached Pireaus, in
Greece, where we encountered the first landing inconvenience.
The Greek authorities insisted on retaining our passports, for
which they gave us numbered chips similar to hat checks. The
passports were thrown pell-mell in a heap in the disorderly little
cage, and when we came to reclaim them later, we were at the
mercy of the leisurely convenience of the two not over-anxious
clerks.
But we were fully repaid for all the discomforts attending
the delay at the landing office and the long drive to Athens
through extremely barren and uninteresting country by the glorious ruins of the Acropolis. We could see them from the distance crowning the high hill dominating the city which lay spread
at its feet. On that historic hill was so much to be seen and ad-
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
mired that we deferred the drive through the city itself until
such time that we felt satisfied with the principal visit in our itinerary. And the decision taken proved to be a wise one, for there
was room for study and admiration in that group of magnificent
ruins to engage one not for a day but for weeks. To attempt a
search for adequate adjectives in description of the great ruins
would be a sheer waste of effort. There they stand, majestic
and overwhelming in their grandeur, as an ever living testimony
to the glory that was Greece. One is no sooner through wondering at the magnificent and imposing scheme of the sacred hill
than he is confronted by the wonder of the propylaea, or entrance
buildings, and the many individual temples that form the Acropolis. What great skill, and effort, and unlimited wealth was
expended over long stretches of time to create this masterpiece
of the architect, the builder and the sculptor. Even the changes
wrought in the original scheme by the transformation of the
buildings from their original purpose, first into Christian, then
into Moslem places of worship, could not materially detract from
the original beauty and imposing grandeur of conception and execution.
Our departure from Piraeus was delayed for several hours
owing to the interlocking of anchors in the open harbor. We
finally cut the chains and left the anchors behind. We had to
make Beirut Sunday the 21st. according to schedule, which we
did, although a little late.
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FIRE — A RIDDLE
(Translated from the Arabic by J. D.
CARLYLE)
The loftiest cedars I can eat,
Yet neither paunch nor mouth have I,
I storm whene'er you give me meat,
Whene'er you give me drink, I die.
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�SYRIAN?
ANCI NG THE DABKE
A group of Syrians returning on a visit to the motherland performing the native
dance of Dabke on board the « Providence" of the Fabre Ltne.
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Mandates in the Near East
First Decade of European Supervision Over Iraq, Syria and
Palestine Reviewed by the Author of "Maker of Modern Arabia"
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By
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AMEEN RIHANI
HTHE Near East for the last ten years has been a school for
mandate and parliamentary government. Both the mandatory authorities and the nationalists are still going through their
schooling—and paying for it. They paid dearly at the beginning,
because everyone started with the assumption that the hornbook
spelled nothing but force. Hence the revolutions in Syria and
in Iraq. Hence, too, the growing discontent in Palestine and
Transjordania. But along with this is a growing desire to master the art of diplomacy. The subject before the class is now:
Bargaining in its relation to the rights of nations.
A survey of the most important events that led up to the present position must be very brief. When the planks of the bridge
of Bagdad, to begin at the beginning, were groaning under the
artillery and the tanks of the British army, the people of the city
were reading the proclamation of General Maude, which promised them in the name of the Allies, liberation from Turkish rule
and peace and prosperity under a self-determined rule. Those
who could read praised Allah for the army of liberation. But
those who could not read, principally the tribes, who are more
numerous than the urban population, were much like the planks
of the bridge of Bagdad. And had the planks an imagination,
like the tribesmen, the more would have been their groaning.
True, the Turks had gone; their 4001 years of misrule, of
tyranny and corruption, of bureaucratic and military blackguardism had come to an end. Moreover, the conquering army of the
West, in the twentieth century, unlike the hordes of Central
Asia in the fifteenth, did not write with fire and sword the first
page of its history of Iraq. It was in the inception an army of
liberation; having had its fill of war, it sincerely desired peace.
But the tribes cared little for peace, and they were not in need
of liberation. Under the rule of the Turks, so long as they
said, "The Sultan of Stamboul is our Sultan, billah!" and so
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
long as they left his Bagdad Government in peace, they were
free to do as they pleased.
The tribes do not like a strong government, because it prevents them from raiding and it makes them contribute to its revenues. It is a double curse in their eyes, and what they fear
most is taxation. Indeed, taxation was the monster that stalked
around the camps when the bridge of Bagdad was sagging and
groaning under the heavy-footed army of the British, and in less
than a year that imaginary monster became a reality. His name
was Collector of Taxes. How he first fared among the tribes
need not be dwelt upon. Suffice it to say that he never traveled without a bodyguard, which were often reinforced by a
detachment of the British soldiery. This contact between the
armed Britisher and the tribesman did not make for peace. A
mutual tolerance soon developed into an attitude of be-advisedand-beware on both sides.
There were other elements of discontentment in the country,
as, for instance, the Shi'a population, and when the tribes and the
Shi'a joined forces in 1920 a revolution was declared. It was
the first attempt to force the British out of Iraq. But the revolution would not have lasted almost a year and would not have
caused the British a staggering loss in men and money had it
not been for the tribes; and because of the tribes,who joined it
only to get rid of the tax collector, it served no national purpose.
Minor revolutions broke out in the north among the Kurds
before Faisal was made King of Iraq in September, 1921. A
year later, on King Faisal's anniversary, an abortive attempt was
made to free Iraq from British control. But the nationalists
did not altogether fail. They succeeded in getting a treaty for
twenty-five years with the British Government, and in the negotiations which followed several clauses in the treaty were modified to satisfy their nationalist aspirations.
Three times in five years that treaty was revised, and there
remain now only three questions in dispute. Diplomatic and
consular representation of Iraq in foreign countries, outside of
a single representative in London, the British Government will
not admit; a nationalist army raised by conscription it will not
encourage; and the admission of Iraq into the League of Nations
has been postponed from year to year.
The Nationalists have also another grievance arising from
what they consider a technical error in the placing of the mili-
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SEPTEMBER, 1929
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tary forces of Iraq, which include the native army, under one
single command, that of the Royal Air Force. It might be said
that, outside the extremists, whose scowl.is either temperamental
or professional, the officers of the native army are the most discontented.
But neither the militarists nor the politicians nor the leaders
of nationalism give a correct expression of the principal tendencies of a nation. Nor are political events always indicative and
conclusive. The question, after all, is this: What are the signs
of development and progress, if any, in the life of the people
of Iraq? The most important enterprise, which is destined to
revolutionize Iraq—that is the vast irrigation scheme of Sir William Willocks—is yet in abeyance, and the exploitation of the oil
fields of Mosul has not yet had any effect upon the economic life
of the country.
Otherwise, there are a few signs of progress. The tribes are
beginning to have some respect for government, they no longer
shoot the tax collector, and when the raiding lust is on them
they go down south toward Nejd or they cross the border to the
Syrian desert. The Shi'a of Nejaf and Karbala, who in the past,
under the Sunni Turks, were humbled in the dust, and who have
been pampered by the British, are now a free and vital and very
active element of the State, which they would destroy. They
are opposed to the British, to the Nationalists and to King Faisal himself; and at heart they recognize only one authority,
that which emanates from the Persian Shi'a throne at Teheran.
A constitutional government, with a parliament and a cabinet, has opened the doors of opportunity to men of talent who
in the past could only aspire to a place in the servants' hall of
a privileged bureaucrat. The automobile lines between Bagdad
and Damascus, between Teheran, in fact, and the Mediterranean coast, have increased the importance of Iraq as a centre
of trade and transportation.
But the most promising and the most wholesome sign of
development and progress in the life of the people of Iraq is a
sign I have seen in the main street of Bagdad. It is a billboard,
which shares the place of honor with the latest announcements
at the doors of the cinemas. I have seen it in different wordings
written also on the walls and stuck on the lamp posts: "Education Is Life; Ignorance is Death." "Thou Shalt Seek Knowledge from the Cradle to the Grave." "Ignorance Is Servi-
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
tudej Knowledge Is Freedom and Power." "Said the Prophet:
'Seek Thou Knowledge, and Though it be in China'."
Who was responsible for these signs? Who pays to advertise education? Neither the government nor the mandatory
power. A Society of Culture in Bagdad, composed of young
intellectuals, conceived the idea, and what they spent in advertising quickly showed amazing results. But the government
schools were not sufficient to meet the demand for education.
Illiteracy in Iraq was overwhelming, but men were fired with the
passion to learn, at least, to read and write.
The Society of Culture conceived another idea—the logical
outcome of the first. It established a chain of elementary night
schools-^-the first one opened in 1922. In a year from that time,
with the help of a few Arab philanthropists, among them King
Faisal, it had established night schools in the principal cities of
Iraq, and its teachers were teaching hygiene, as well as the
A B C's to 30,000 young and old, from the age of 10 to the
age of 50, and instilling in them a national spirit. In addition
to this movement of combating illiteracy and raising patriotism
above all the sectarian passions, there are today more than 200
Iraq students at the American University of Beirut, and many
graduates are acquiring the technical sciences in the universities
of England and America. Whatever happens politically in Iraq,
therefore, the spread of education will continue and it will chasten and perpetuate its national spirit.
In Syria and Mount Lebanon the situation does not jusitfy
an optimistic point of view. But I must say, before I set down
anything against the French, that the problems they have inherited from the Turks are unmatched in all the junk shops of
world politics and religions.
There are in Syria and Mount Lebanon four principal religions and a dozen different sects, which the Turks tended with
political care, humoring and browbeating them alternately, but
always keeping them apart and playing them against each other.
The result is that every sect became a political party, which has
its own platform, its own ideas of self-government or no government, its own truckling politicians, and its own religious leader,
who is a cross between a Turkish pasha and a Tammany boss.
Moreover, there is among this multitude of politico-religious
sects four minorities, each with its own litany of woes, its own
fundamental curse of non-cooperation and its own scheme of
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salvation. No form of government other than a benevolent despotism can bring these four minorities together and, redressing
their grievances as far as is humanly possible, mold them gradually into a decent element of the State.
These minorities are the Maronites of Mount Lebanon, who
are noted for their eloquence and Francomaniaj the Druses of
Hauran, who are famous for their bravery and warlike achievements} the Alawites in the north, who are the most submissive,
and the Shi'a in the south, who are the most fanatical. They
are all, in fact, more or less fanatical, and only a benevolent despotism, as I have said, can force upon them a spirit of tolerance
and national solidarity.
How did France deal with these minorities? The answer
is plain when I say that the French Mandatory Government is
neither a benevolent despotism nor a despotism pure and simple. It has been, on the whole, for the past ten years a government of makeshift and negation. In ten years France has sent
six High Commissioners to Syria, each of whom had a temper
and policy of his own. Gouraud the Good, Weygand the Grim,
Vindenberg the Gentle, Sarrail the Mad, Jouvenel the Loquacious, and Ponsot the Silent—here is a colorful array of the
Statesmen of Despair. For every one of these gentlemen came
to Syria with one administrative program and went back with
another.
General Gouraud, who was called Pere Gouraud because of
his subservience to the Jesuits, divided the country into six independent States to please the minorities, especially the Maronites,
and returned to Paris when the insurgent bands were still operating in the north of Syria. General Weygand, the ablest administer of them all, was sacrificed to party politics at home. He
only had time to pacify the northern border, and when he was
recalled, the Druses were polishing their rifles and filling their
cartridge belts. General Vindenberg was a gentle tourist who
was not given- time enough to see the whole country.
General Sarrail antagonized everybody, from the Jesuits to
the Druses, who had already shouldered their rifles. He precipitated the revolution of 1925 and lost his position. M. de
Jouvenel came to repair the work of General Sarrail, but his
flow of oratory impeded, I think, his progress. He was able to
establish, however, merely by fiat, the little republic of Mount
Lebanon.
�22
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The revolution was finally subdued and M. Ponsot came to
inaugurate an era of peace. For more than a year he applied
himself to the study of the intricate situation from every angle,
without making a single public utterance. When at last he spoke,
he proved himself to be the most liberal of administrators. Syria
received the right to elect a constituent assembly for the purpose
of drafting a constitution and establishing a government. The
elections were most orderly and, with one or two exceptions,
free from governmental interference.
But the Natoinalists, emboldened by their triumph, drafted
a constitution that conflicted in a few articles with the mandate.
M. Ponsot went to Paris to get his government's consent to a
solution that would harmonize the two documents, returned to
Damascus with a proposition that was not wholly satisfactory
to the Nationalists, and again went to Paris for another conference, leaving the situation as obscure as ever.
In Palestine there is no shilly-shallying and no obscurity.
There is a triple government with three official languages and
three official temperaments. It is a Panus with three instead of
two faces, and they all look to the East and the West with hope
everlasting. The first is furrowed by age and suffering; the
second is bronzed by the desert sun of pride; the third is slightly
pale, with a serentiy amazingly sustained. The first reflects a
racial and religious dream; the second is a symbol of national
superiority that will not be stifled; the third is expressive of
resolution and power. The Zionist, the Arab and their British
overlord—will they continue to go on as they have for the last
ten years, or will one of them in the end have to drop out?
But in the following picture of life in Palestine, with its
historical and political implications, the reader may at least see
how the wind blows. It has always been the custom of Christians, in ancient as in modern times, to make a pilgrimage to
Jerusalem during Holy Week, and in the days of Saladin, who
wrested from the Crusaders the greater part of Jerusalem, they
came in thousands and were a menace to the Moslem population.
Saladin, who would not be guilty of intolerance, placed no restrictions upon the pilgrimages, but, to protect the city and maintain peace, without betraying any suspicion or apprehension of
the Christians, he conceived the idea of balancing the power of
one multitude by another.
Accordingly, he instituted the fete of Nabi Musa, whose
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23
shrine is preserved till this day—it is half way between the Holy
City and Jericho—and appointed Easter Sunday for its celebration. The Moslems, therefore, flocked in thousands to Jerusalem during Holy Week, ostensibly for this purpose, and were
thus ready to repel any surprise attack by the Christians.
The fete of Nabi Musa is still celebrated, and its political
purpose, which was of no significance and therefore forgotten in
the days of the Turks, is now being revived by the Arabs.
Two years ago I was in Jerusalem when three holidays were
being celebrated in the same week by Christians, Moslems and
Jews. Easter and Nabi Musa and the Passover brought to Jerusalem a universal boon—the whole city was plunged in a sea of
jubilation. But the parade of the Moslems, which continued
for six hours to flow through Bab'ul-Khalil and down the narrow streets to the Aksa Dome, was the most imposing and the
most significant. In it was revived the Nabi Musa purpose of
Saladin's days, and it was neither hidden nor implied. It was
written on the banners and echoed in the slogans and expressed
in the mottoes that distinguished the delegations from every city
in Palestine. Political songs were sung by the different delegations as the procession moved; political speeches were made by
the delegation leaders every time the procession paused in its
march j and the burden of every song and every speech was the
Balfour Declaration. I read on one of the banners "The Arab
and the Native Jew are Brothers," but the prevailing slogans
were: "Down with Zionism!" "Down with the British!" It
was otherwise a peaceful parade, but in it were all the elements
of the present uprising in Palestine.
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ARAB PROVERBS
He who envies others is beginning by bringing injury to him-
t
self.
ill
One must be in the last stages of need to have to ask help
cf a knave.
Only a fool takes poison depending on the antidote.
How can a fool appreciate the delicious taste of wisdom?
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
Thzvarted
\\
(Suggested by an Old Arabic Poem)
By
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
No more will roses feel her tender hand,
Or nestle in her hair, or 'gainst her heart;
Nor will the lily range her virgin band
To greet my love each morn, for now, apartThrough her sire's tyranny,
Her mother's jealousy—
She lives, from herb or flower,
Or shady, fragrant bower,—
Since once I said, "O rose, take her my love!"
No more the breeze, twin sister of the morn,
May kiss her cheek or frolic with her hair 5
Nor will the eve's breath, with spices borne
From drowsy groves, embrace her beauty rare;
For through this tyranny,
This strange, strange jealousy,
She may not greet the dawning,
Nor bid farewell to evening,
Since once I said, "O breeze, take her my love!"
Then said I to my Phantom-self, "When o'er
Her couch you hover, O, beware! Beware
Lest when you tap at her heart's secret door,
Or touch her lips, you stir the brooding air
And awake this tyranny,
This strange, strange jealousy,—
Then rest will be denied her,
Lest even in her slumber
A willing ear she turn unto my love!"
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SEPTEMBER, 1929
ISAF
f.4 5/?or; S/ory based on an Arabic legend)
By
LABEEBEE
A. J.
HANNA
"ISAF, Isaf, let us friendly be:
If once in the year the moon is dark, will there no longer)
moon be?"
"Ya Bint Amar, your tooth has decayed
Since two years the shame has been too true.
I am Isaf, I am a camel for strength:
The wildest horse has been my drudge and you know.
If the flies gather on my food, never again is it mine.
If the dog licks from the bowl of the wolf, the wolf no longer
finds pleasure in the bowl.
If two have sat on the one silver saddle—is it not a shame that
their faith be marred?
I shed my raiment, ya Bint Amar, and stand alone."
i
'
DABE was in the kitchen in her uncle's.home in Dedham. Uncle
John was on the porch singing attabah. She ran out to him.
"What a lovely song!" exclaimed Babe. "My dad sang bewt
attabah and I love them!"
"This has a fine story attached to it," answered John.
Babe thought a moment, then said, "They all seem to have,
and they're so unusual!"
"Yes, they often have an interesting meaning to those who
really understand them. This story concerns an unfaithful wife.
Would you like to hear it?"
"Why, of course!"
'
Little Nimry, the daughter of John, heard, and so did Aunt
Najibi and a house guest, Isabel. All assembled on the porch to
hear the story of John.
Little Nimry begged her father to sing again, though she did
not understand.' All listened attentively as he repeated the song
and when he had finished there was silence for a moment.
"We are very anxious to hear the story," said Isabel, who
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
made herself pleasant under all circumstances and took every
opportunity to smile and show her one dimple on the left cheek.
"Yes, papa," cried Nimry. "Hurry! Hurry!" This, though
she really could not understand her father's stories but was enthralled by the beauty of the sound of Arabic and the enthusiasm
of her father in all things Arabic. "Do you know this story, mamma."—and she went to her mother and put her arms about her
shoulders.
"I know it, yes, dear," said Najibi, sitting as a queen, although
in her kitchen apron, "but your father can give it proper emphasis." Her quiet dignity lent a certain charm to any and all
gatherings.
Nimry dropped her arms and went to sit beside her father.
Thereafter, her eyes never left his face and she gave the appearance of a wonder-child who understood all these difficult
words and expressions of the pure Arabic.
John began:
"The daughter of Amar had been faithless to her husband
and he, on learning of this unfaithfulness, placed a sword between them at night. His wife, noting his unusual procedure,
enquired its meaning.
"Isaf answered, 'You are my sister to me.'
"This unexpected answer quieted Bint Amar, but set her on
her guard.
"The next morning Isaf prepared his horses and person and
said, T am going to visit your folks.'
"She answered, 'I shall be your companion.'
" 'Come then, prepare yourself,' he said.
" 'Well, then,' said the wife, 'by the voice, you will not speak.'
" 'By the voice I shall not tell, wallah.'
Isabel here interrupted, and enquired, "What do you mean
'by the voice'."
Babe answered, "It is a promise that he will not tell of her
unfaithfulness: that no word of his will betray their condition."
"Ah!" agreed Nimry, though she did not understand.
John went on:
"The horses were ready and they went on their way.
"They were just two miles within Amar's home. Amar the
woman's^ father, standing with his wife at his door, saw a cloud
of dust in the distance. Soon he could make out the forms of
those coming.
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" 'Ya hraimah,'' he called his wife, 'your daughter has sinned.'
" 'How can you tell,'
" 'Note their position as they come. She is not on his right
hand. When they arrive take her to your chamber and speak to
her.'
"On the arrival of the two, the mother with her daughter
sought the chamber for privacy, and there the daughter confessed
her duplicity without any ado, though she knew in her father's
house such a confession meant certain death.
Najibi here said quietly, "She might have lied."
"Of course," said Isabel, "and saved herself."
"The Arab has no fear," said Babe. "She probably realized
she deserved death. I think I'd feel the same way."
"Well, she confessed," said John, and continued:
"While the mother and daughter were speaking, the father
and Isaf discussed the weather and horses, and then, —
" 'Why is your grass so high.' asked Isaf. 'This might be a
fine pasture for your sheep.
"We are troubled,' said Amar, 'by a fierce wolf. He lives not
far from here and preys upon our cattle. No one dares face him.
He destroys our men.'
" 'I shall face him,' said Isaf. 'Give me three days. If I do
not return then, consider me destroyed.'
"He would not change his mind.
" 'If you are determined, very well,' said Amar reluctantly.
"So next morning, Isaf shed himself of all but the necessary
raiment and, taking only one revolver and a knife, set out on foot
in the direction of the wolf's lair.
"That evening he found the wolf sleeping.
"Isaf thought, 'I can easily shoot him but I shall not take advantage. I, too, am tired, and shall sleep.' So he lay down beside
the wild animal.
Isabel here interrupted, "Has he no fear."
"Oh," said John, "this is the famous Isaf—a wolf in strength
himself. He feared no one and nothing."
"In the morning the wolf awoke, and saw the man beside
him—sleeping peacefully.
" 'This can be no ordinary man who dares to lie down beside
me,' thought the wolf. 'I shall not harm him.'
"In time the man awoke and each stared and noted the
strength and power of the other.
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
" 'Why do you come here?" asked the wolf. 'Others came
and found death here.'
" % too, am a wolf and were it not for that I should not seek
you to play with you,' answered the man.
" 'What will you play?' asked the wolf.
" 'Let us box.'
"They boxed, but neither won.
"Then they wrestled and again were equal in strength. And
they awaited the third day.
" 'What will you play now?' asked the wolf.
" 'This time it is to the death in earnest,' said the man. 'Let
us dash at each other and one of us shall be killed.'
" 'As you say,' agreed the wolf.
"Both walked in opposite directions and stood looking at each
other. As though at the firing of a gun they ran toward each
other at the identical moment. As they came together, the man
clenched his powerful fist and shot it out full at the abdomen of
the wolf and felled him.
"Isaf cut the wolf's head off and, putting it under his own
head as a pillow, lay down and slept.
"Meanwhile, the third day having arrived, Amar, with a
party of men set out to find Isaf, and located him sleeping on
the head of the wolf.
"Thereafter, the sheep were free to use the pasture and men
no longer feared
"On arriving at his father-in-law's house, Isaf made preparations to return home.
" 'The stranger longs for his own folks,' he said to Amar.
'Where is my wife?'
" 'She has four sisters, said Amar, 'and she has gone to visit
each one for a week. She will return in a month.'
"Then Amar sent one of his servants to procure a certain
bundle. When this came, he gave it to Isaf, saying, 'Before you
have gone many miles you will be thirsty. Open this bag, which
contains a watermelon, and quench your thirst.'
"Isaf thanked him and after many salaams, departed.
"As Amar foresaw, Isaf became thirsty.
"Ah!' said he, "I am thirsty. Surely that watermelon would
be pleasant now.'
"He tore the wrappings open—to find—the head of his wife."
"But, father," said Nimry, "how can a wolf talk?"
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SEPTEMBER, 1929
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"I don't know," said John. "That's the story. I am not making it up out of my own head."
Then, at Babe's urgent request, John sang attabah again and
explained the meanings of the pure Arabic expressions.
Success
* i
By
THOMAS ASA
A magic word that casts its potent spell,
O'er all the breathing things above the beast,—
Without exclusion of the greatest or the least;
And transforms the light into a ling'ring hell,
Of blinding discontent where peace should dwell.
And like the*eager hand that seeks the hidden East,
No star to clear the maze before desire has ceased;—
To merge the hopes of years amid the mournful knell,
That sounds the moulding of a morbid end,
Of dead desires and broken threads of dreams,
That bridged the chasm of approaching years,
And viewed with joy the forms that life may send.
But this has changed, the madness of success now seems
To be, not gold, but dross and endless fears.
Beyond
By
ALICE MCGEORGE
Blue, illimitable, star-decked skies,
Eagerly searching, the soul of me sighs;
Vainly, with wisdom of ages, it tries;
Seeking what mystery yonder lies.
Hoping to learn, before it dies,
What life is like beyond those skies.
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Through Palestine During the
Recent Uprising
(Reprinted, with some additions, from
"The Commonweal" New York.)
By SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
^/HEN the Prophet Mohammed witnessed the beauty of
Damascus from a distance, he refused to enter the city for
fear of jeopardizing his chances of entering the Jannat. In some
respects I had a similar experience in the case of Jerusalem, except that I was near the city and anxious to enter it but could not.
In my travels in Syria I had counted on making my visit to Jerusalem the supreme goal of my excursions. Proceeding southward
through beautiful Lebanon, I had consistently resisted the pressure of friends to tarry longer with them and was making rapidly iov the northern border of Palestine. A night at hospitable
Jedaidat Marjioun was all I would permit myself, so anxious
was I to conserve my time for a more prolonged stay in the Holy
City.
Everything in the beginning seemed to go in my favor.
Thanks to the representations of my last two companions, Nairn
Farha, a prominent native of Jedaidat recently returned from the
United States, and Joseph Mokarzel, an influential newspaper
publisher of Beirut, the border inspection both at the Lebanese
post of departure and the Palestinian post of entry at al-Mutellat
was cuickly dispatched. A moment later our car was tearing
the road at reckless speed over the steep hills of northern Palestine and later through the fertile plains of Al-Houle. Our first
halt was at the military post of al-Ja'oune where a thorough
search of the car was made and our identity ascertained. Only
a few minutes were spent in giving one of the civil officials
information about his uncles in New York. The father of this
official, upon being informed of my presence, hastened to further
cueston me about his brothers. He was a Protestant minister
stationed at Haifa and he extended me a sincere invitation to
visit his city for a stay of a few days. But the desire to go to
Jerusalem was all-compelling and we were soon on our way to
�SEPTEMBER, 1929
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the Holy City. I had little anticipated having to go to Haifa
the very next day, uninvited.
At al-Ja'oune I observed a splendidly built young native officer in trim khaki uniform circling around the automobile. The
formalities of inspection having been dispensed with, the movements of this officer puzzled me. He seemed to have something *
to say which he was holding back. Being anxious to leave, I
asked him what he wanted and in all politeness he begged for a
"Jift" to Tiberias. To this I readily consented and the officer,
with only a whip and a small bundle of clothes, lightly stepped
into the vacant back seat and we were soon on our way to Tiberias.
It was well that we had this native officer for companion.
He proved to be not only a versatile entertainer but a purveyor
of many bits of unique and delightful information. To the inquiry of my driver as to the safety of the road, he having learned
of a recent hold-up in the section which we were traversing, the
officer replied that the highwaymen had been apprehended and
dealt with summarily. He attributed this quick success to the
ability of the native police who, he said, were drawn from the
rural districts because of their better knowledge of the_ topography of the country which gives them an advantage in discovering the hiding places of criminals.
Our officer companion was evidently one of those talented
native constables whom he had so eloquently praised. MoslemJewish riots having taken place in Jerusalem and other cities of
Palestine, he was being transferred from the comparatively quiet
sections of the border to more exposed interior localities. His
name was Ta'ih Nemr, meaning the Roaming Tiger, and he was
living up to it. We picked him up at al-Ja'ouni and dropped
him oS at Tiberias. The next day we met him at Haifa.
Roaming Tiger explained to us many points of interest which
neither I nor my Syrian driver had known. We were then approaching the sea of Galilea which lies about six hundred feet
below sea level in a deep hollow surrounded by high hills. The
natural scenery at sunset was wondrous. The bleak hills took
on a rich reddish tinge which was accentuated by the gathering
darkness on the water. Th«re was something severe and awesome about the panorama, especiallv when viewed in the light
of its historic associations. And the Sea of Galilea is no peaceful little body of water. The Tiger explained that in times of
storm it is capable of raising waves that wash the roadway which
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
skirts it even at places twenty or thirty feet high. In this my
Syrian driver concurred as he frequently conducted tourists in
Palestine in winter.
Why Lake Tiberias holds its fury in leash is because it is
appeased by the exaction of two human victims annually, according to the explanation of Tiger. The origin of this legend the
native police officer could not explain, but he was positive in his
assertion that the minimum number of the lake's annual victims
was two, although in some years it requires more. Our informer was also uncertain as to the sex or age of the victims and
to what extent the natives believed in the legend.
The night of August 23 was spent in a comfortable hotel
in Tiberias conducted by a German. Although it had accommodations for a hundred or more people, the guests on that day
did not exceed four: a resident German archaeologist, a missionary
and his wife from the American Colony in Jerusalem visiting
for a day, and I. At Tiberias I inquired about hotel accommodations in Jerusalem and was given the impression that
travel was possible inasmuch as the disturbances of the previous
week had been suppressed and the authorities had the situation
well in hand. On this assurance we planned to cover the distance
of a hundred and seventy-five kilometers from Tiberias to Jerusalem in five hours at the most.
So early on the morning of Saturday, the 24th, we hastened
to leave Tiberias after but a brief visit to its famous thermal
baths and the old quarter of the town. We were rapidly gaining
the top of the hill of Hatteen which was the scene of the decisive
battle between Moslems and Crusaders which ended forever the
occupation of the Holy Land by Christian Europe. Less than
an hour later we had reached Kafar Canna, the same Cana of
the Gospels where Christ transformed the water into wine. Our
next halt was at Nazareth, which, quite in contrast with the other
cities of Palestine we had seen, presented a most invitingly clean
appearance. It is situated on a gently sloping hill at a short distance from the vast and fertile plain known as Marj Ibn Amer
where now flourish many Zionist colonies, principal among which
is Balfouriat, named after Lord Balfour in recognition for his
having given Palestine to the Jews as a national homeland.
It was Saturday and Balfouriat was peaceful and quiet. On
the main highway skirting the town was a gang of Arab workmen breaking stones. We stopped to question an isolated one as
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to general conditions in that section. "The Jews have taken
possession of the land and driven us out. We have naught to do
but break stones," he complained.
My knowledge of Arabic gained for me the confidence of
this workman as well as of others whom we met later. It was
Undoubtedly due to it that I was saved from possible grave danger. I engaged the workman in conversation in the hope of
getting the true reaction of the peasant element to the developments attending the Zionist occupation.
"But why did you sell our land to the Jews? Couldn't you
have retained it and worked it in the same manner as they are
now doing so profitably?"
There was a look of deep anguish in the man's eyes as he
grasped the meaning of my question. This was his explanation:
"It was not we who sold to the Jews. It was the landowners. The whole of the Marj plain was owned by Sursuq of
Beirut who was tempted by the high price offered, and sold, and
drove us out of employment. For countless generations we had
been tenants working the land for the benefit of the masters. We
could not, or did not think of saving. What could we earn to
invest in the price of land when the whole plain was held as a.
single unit and would not be parceled out in small lots? Under
these conditions, and inasmuch as we had been in occupation of
the land for countless generations, we felt ourselves secure in
our possession of it. When the sale was consummated to the
Jews we were reduced to the necessity of breaking stones on the
roadway as the only remaining alternative."
From my conversation with this native Palestinian Arab, I
gathered that feeling ran as high against the landowners as
against the Jews. The concern of the Arabs is how to earn a
living in the traditional manner obtaining in their country from
time immemorial. The land problem in all of Syria appears to
be the same. I came across the same conditions in northern Syria
and in Houran and the Druze Mountain. It is due to this condition of insecurity that the immense Syrian plains present the appearance of desert wastes, especially after harvest time. Not a
single tree or shrub is to be seen for miles. The peasants would
not waste their efforts planting trees which took time to give
fruit and which they felt they had to plant for the benefit of
others.
From the outskirts of Balfouriat we pushed along rapidly
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
to Al-Afoule. On the way we were stopped by an automobile
coming; from the opposite direction. The driver was a native
but the occupants appeared to be American or English missionaries: a serious-miened, middle-aged gentleman riding with two
boys in the back seat and a spectacled lady sharing the front seat
with the driver. The driver offered his advice for "the generous
face of Allah." It was unsafe to proceed any farther, he said.
They had been stepped before reaching Janin and made to return.
AU roads leading to Jerusalem were barred as the disturbances
in the city had been renewed. Large numbers of Arabs were
fl ' ' ig to the city from neighboring towns and were intent on
dealing- decisivelv with the unreasonable ambitions of the Jews.
safe
oad s were unsafe
The military were helc
I could divine by the tone of this voluntary adviser that he
was • greatly fearful for his charges. Being a native, he was in
con-. /-t. f.ton to tee! better the pulse of the country. There appeared to be no doubt that feeling among the Arabs was running high as never before. They had even left the picking
of their sumsum crops in the most critical satge to take part in
the demonstrations.
At this point my own driver began to falter. True, he was
wearing a tarboush, which was in itself assurance of safety.
But I was wearing a hat which constituted an element of danger.
He begged to turn, but I refused. He explained that although
he was a Moslem he v,rns a shiite whom the sunnite Moslems
hated even more than they did the Jews. He was apprehensive
Jesl !
identity might be discovered which would prove dangerous for both him and me. Would I not please consider the
msness of the situation and decide to turn back?
I was able to prevail uoon him only when I explained that
I ran a double danger compared to him. Furthermore, the next
military rest at Al-Afoule was quite near and we would get
authentic information there.
At Al-Afoule there was gathered around the military post
a large number of Tews from the neighboring colony of Balfouriat. They immediateJv swarmed around our car seemingly
to get information. The ofHcer in charge was insistent upon preventinsi us from proceeding any farther. He had strict orders,
he said, not to let anyone pass no matter what his representations.
Up to this time I had seen no real indications of any disturbance and could not conceive of any reason for retracing our
�SEPTEMBER, 1929
I
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35
course. Representing myself as an American citizen going to
Jerusalem on urgent business, I protested that the general orders upon which the officer was acting did not apply to me and
insisted upon seeing: someone of higher authority. This argument had its effect and we were allowed to proceed to Janin,
lying some twenty-five kilometers further south on the road which
lends to Jerusalem.
©n the way we encountered but two peasants directly on the
road close to a native village. We stopped ostensiblv to inquire
the distance to Janin but actually to Ret some possible further
information about conditions. The older of the two peasants
looked at us suspiciously and blurted out the information that
the inhabitants of this particular village were all Moslems. Upon
being questioned further he assumed a belligerent attitude and
we derided to push on. I was fearful that further such incidents
would affect the morale of my driver who was none too willing
to continue.
At last we reached Janin. It was but ten in the morning and
considering that it was harvest time and that the day was not a
day of rest, Friday being the Moslem sabbath, there were what
seemed to us surprisingly large crowds in the square of the
mosoue at the entrance to the town. We saw several soldiers
md policemen but passed them bv. I had instructed my driver
to keep on until stopped, and it was not long before we were.
We had not proceeded a hundred and fifty feet beyond the
mosque when a crowd motioned frantically to us and ordered
us to turn back and report to the authorities. Some were waving
s'icfcs and showed bv their gestures and general demeanor that
they did not approve of the liberty we were taking.
My driver did not need any argument. I must admit that
T rjjgQ feU ?orr!e concern as it was plain from the action of the
crowd that they were not friendly. I hastened to soeak to them
in Arabic, explaining mv haste for proceeding on the way to Jerusalem, and representing myself as an American citizen compelled
to report to the American consul. There was unmistaken determination on the part of the crowd, however, that I see the authorities first. They seemed to have their suspicions about my
motives.
So back we went to report- to the authorities. I was directed
to the office of the Chief of Police and left to climb the unguarded stone stairs on the outside of the building alone. But
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
the Chief of Police was not to be found. Only the window was
open but the door was locked.
Upon descending to where the
crowd remained watching me and reporting the situation, a young
fellow volunteered to come up with me again, but when he found
that that wanted official was really not there he consented to lead
me to the office of the governor of the district who immediately
ordered me ushered in upon the presentation of my card.
"We have read about you in the Syrian newspapers," he said,
"and we are glad to have you come to Palestine, but regret that
you are coming under such unfavorable conditions. We have
strict orders not to allow anyone to go to Jerusalem. The roads
are dangerous and the authorities are in no condition to guarantee anyone's safety. I would be only too willing to give you
an escort if I could but spare a single soldier."
Twice during my stay at the Governor's office he was called
on the telephone apparently from headquarters in Jerusalem.
"Our district is now comparatively quiet," was the gist of his
replies. "The crowds that gathered from neighboring towns
were induced to return to their homes today. They are now engaged in the gathering of their sumsum crops. Yes, sir. I am
sure we now have the situation well in hand. My forces are
inadequate but I anticipate no further trouble. Yes, sir. The
roads are all guarded and the distance between here and Afoule
is under regular patrol. Yes, sir, your orders shall be strictly
carried out."
Urjon learning that the governor was of the Husseini family,
I asked him if he was related to Haj Ameen Husseini, the grand
mufti of Jerusalem and leader of the Arab movement in Palestine. He replied that he was his first cousin. I then produced
a letter of introduction which I carried from America to the
Mufti from one of his personal friends and represented that I
had urgent business with him. But the governor was unrelenting. "Not that we do not wish to let you pass, but we simply
think the roads are not sufficiently safe for us to take such risks."
Still I would not give up. I said that once in Palestine I had
to report to the American consul in Jerusalem and would take
upon myself the risk of reaching him. If I should encounter any
interference on the way, I felt sure I could explain the situation
to the satisfaction of the Moslem population.
The Governor gave me the reason for not entertaining even
such, an argument: "You will not be given an opportunity to ex-
i m
�SEPTEMBER, 1929
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plain. The mob will not listen to reason and even were I to give
you a letter of recommendation there is the grave danger that
you will not have a chance to produce it."
We were then interrupted by the entry of an American missionary, he whom I had seen the previous night at the hotel in
Tiberias and whom I was told was stationed at the American
Colony in Jerusalem. He also wanted permission to proceed
to his home in Jerusalem, but upon being told of the dangers
attending the trip, he-immediately decided to return to Nazareth.
The action of this American resident of Palestine irreparably
damaged my chances, as the Governor was now in a better position to logically refuse my request. We then shifted the conversation to general topics, at which the governor seemed visibly
relieved. We discussed the merits of the Zionist ambitions for
settling Palestine as a national home.
I could see that the
Governor, being a government official, held views compatible
with his office. "The country belongs to its conquerors," he said.
"The Jews first took possession of it by right of conquest. The
Arabs can lay to it no better claim. The country now needs cooperation for its full development, and it is regrettable that the
spirit of strife should be so rampant as to retard the progress of
Palestine materially."
Upon leaving the governor's office, I found that a large crowd
had collected by my automobile, but it was plain that they were in
a friendly mood. My chauffeur had proved a most able press agent.
Being a native and wearing a tarboush, he was asked about my
identity and my business and he explained to them in words to
which fear lent added eloquence that I was a friendly Christian
travelling about the country to study conditions; that I was a prominent Syrian publisher in America and that I had been honored
and feasted everywhere I went in Syria and Lebanon and even
extended exceptional official courtesies by the authorities. Consequently it was a different crowd around my automobile when I
emerged from the governor's office. They courteously opened
a way to let me pass and some of them bestowed upon me approving smiles.
When I reached the car the driver was in earnest conversation
with a dapper young man in a silk Gombaz and a new tarboush
who sported a whip as his only weapon. I overheard him admonish the driver not to consent to drive me to Jerusalem if he
were offered a hundred pounds. "Not even for a thousand,"
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
replied the driver, who now appeared overjoyed at his safety
and in his feeling of assurance that his argument against proceeding would prevail.
Then the dapper young man began to deal some of his advice
to me. "We would loath to see any harm befall you," he said
"We have been informed about you and would wish to show you
all hospitality. But if you are safe here you may not be so elsewhere. Now if you will take my advice you will discard your
hat as it may cause you to be mistaken for an enemy. No, you
will not be given a chance to explain your identity and your motives in the present mood of the population."
Therein was the secret of the danger to which I had been
exposed. Everyone wearing a hat was taken for a Jew and set
upon. A flimsy pretext, indeed, but one sufficiently valid to cause
tragic results. I later learned that a young Christian in Jerusalem,
because of his wearing a hat, was attacked by a mob and badly
beaten. While prostrated on the ground one of the mob was
about to plunge a knife into him when he was recognized by a
native Moslem and spared. My authority for this story is a
trustworthy Christian whom I met at Haifa and who had escaped
from Jerusalem that very day.
I finally decided it was impossible to continue to Jerusalem
and that I would take my chances getting to Haifa in my hat.
On the way derisive calls of "Jew, Jew" were hurled at us by boys
and workmen on the road, but our car was speeding at too fast
a pace to permit of any other interference.
We entered Haifa shortly after noon. I proceeded directly
to Cook's office both for some information and some Palestinian
cash. At Cook's they looked worried over the situation; they had
not received mail from Jerusalem for three days, and telephonic
communications were interrupted.
Up to that time there had been no disturbances at Haifa.
During the afternoon conditions in the city appeared to be normal, but towards evening large crowds began to collect in groups
in the principal streets. And they were not promenading. An
educated Palestinian Christian with whom I was sitting on the
veranda of our hotel told me that many among the crowd were
peasants from neighboring villages who had come to take part
in a proposed demonstration. But that night the authorities ordered all theatres and public places closed. In the morning we
learned that in the Jewish colony of Mt. Carmel, the mountain
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SEPTEMBER, 1929
39
suburb of Haifa, one Jew had been killed and three had been
wounded.
Travel from Haifa was possible only by train, and inasmuch
as reaching Jerusalem was out of the question I decdied to leave
the next day for Egypt. At the station I was surprised to see a native soldier approach me with a familiar greeting. He was our
friend of yesterday, Taih Nemr,—or the Roaming Tiger, whom
we had met at the military station of Al-Ja'oune and taken to
Tiberias. The authorities had been anticipating trouble at Haifa
and ordered every man they could spare from outlying districts
to the scene of possible disturbances.
At the junction of Ludd, many refugees boarded the train
seeking safety in Egypt. A certain German Jew from Jaffa was
outspoken in his commendation of the English. "At a mass meeting of the Jews in Jerusalem yesterday," he told me, "a telegraphic petition to the League of Nations begged that the mandate over Palestine be given either to the United States or to
Italy." At my expression of surprise over the choice of the Jews
for an Italian mandate, he said his people would be safer with
any power than with England. "England," he explained, "is
the instigator of all these troubles. She is now performing in
Palestine the role she played in India. She is inciting one faction against another to weaken both sides and strengthen her hold
on the country. England never wished the Jews well."
At Gaza our train stopped to take on water. Engaged at
the same task was a troop train headed in the opposite direction.
It bore the first military contingent sent from Egypt to Palestine.
"Australians?" I asked a tommy who was peering curiously
out of the window.
"No, from South Wales," he replied.
"You will soon quiet them," I remarked, by way of encouragement.
"They may quiet us, for all we know," was his laconic reply.
We had not proceeded far when we met another train loaded with artillery and ammunition. At Al-Cantara, the ferry town
on the Suez Canal, we were informed that the British were draining Egypt of all available men to reinforce their ridiculously
small force garrisoned in Palestine.
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Books and Authors
DR. HITTI'S TRANSLATION OF USAMA
An Arab Syrian Gentleman and Warrior of the Crusades.—Translated from the Arabic by Dr. Philip K. Hitti. New York,
Columbia University Press. 265pp. $4.50.
Works of scholarship are generally considered dull and uninteresting except to a restricted number of scholars. The scholar,
in the preparation of his work, has in view the amount of his
contribution to knowledge by his efforts and cares only for the
opinion of the learned few. Hence the unpopularity with the
general reading public of works of this character.
Happily, this condition does not apply to the latest work of
Dr. Philip K. Hitti which was published in September of this
year by the Columbia University Press of New York, being a
translation into English of Usamah Ibn-Munqidh's Kitab AlPtibar in Arabic. The subject matter of the book is most entertaining and the fact that it is a scholarly work does not in the
least detract from its bid for popularity.
Usamah, according to the definition of Dr. Hitti, was a hunter, a gentleman, a poet and a man of letters. His life was an
epitome of Arab civilization as it flourished during the early crusading period on Syrian soil. He was a flower of the Arab-Syrian
chivalry which found its full bloom later in his patron and friend,
the great Saladin.
Usamah, in his memoirs, proves to be all that Dr. Hitti claims
for him. He is a keen observer and a most entertaining raconteur.
He flavors his accounts with witticism of the most delectable nature, viewed even in the light of modern times. Readers of THE
SYRIAN WORLD will recall some of his chapters published in advance of the publication of the book.
Dr. Hitti based his translation on the original copy of Usamah
in the Locurial Library of Madrid. This manuscript, judged by
the specimen pages reproduced in the book, is written in the
Arabic characters of Al-Maghreb and is further rendered difficult
by the fact that only rarely do the characters bear any diacritical
marks or dots. The astuteness of Dr. Hitti's scholarship could
have been put to no severer test than that of deciphering such an
•
�SEPTEMBER, 1929
>
41
enigmatic document. But the results achieved fully justify the
labors undergone.
The book is divided into three sections j the first dealing with
wars, travels and other experiences; the second with rare anecdotes, and the third with the author's hunting experiences.
The erudite introduction of Dr. Hitti is a most enlightening
treatise on conditions obtaining in Syria during the life of the
Arab author. The study of this period should be of the greatest interest not only to scholars but to all students of history in
that it represents the critical times in which the greatest struggle
between Crusaders and Saracens took place for the mastery of
the Holy Land.
THE LANGUAGE OF CHRIST
The Language of Christ in America, Rev. Peter F. Sfeir, Buffalo, N. Y. 32 pp. 50c.
The main object of the author in the preparation of this
work is to prove that the liturgical language of the Maronites
is the original language used by Christ himself. The Maronites
constitute a large proportion of the Syrians in the United States,
and to shed light on the old language which they still use for
their religious services is a genuine service not only to the descendants of the Maronites themselves but to the American public at large. The author further lends value to his work by epitomizing the history of the Maronites and recording the testimonials of noted travelers concerning them. The conclusion is
an analytical description of the order of the Maronite Mass.
Father Sfeir is well qualified for such work. He was formerly a professor at St. Joseph's University in Beirut and is now
assistant rector of the church of St. John Maron in Buffalo, N.
Y. It is to be hoped that in future editions some of the flagrant
typographical mistakes will be eliminated.
<-
A STUDY OF THE TUBERCULAR GERM
A paper dealing with "The Cytology and Microchemistry of
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis" and prepared by George Knaysi,
of the Department of Dairy Industry of Cornell University, was
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
published in the Journal of Infectuous Diseases for July, 1929,
and reprinted separately.
It is not the purpose here to review such a highly scientific and
technical work. But an acknowledgment of such a paper should
be of interest to our readers in that the author is a Syrian and an
able and indefatiguable student of bacteriology who has already
achieved for himself a name in that branch of science. We shall
be further proud to hear of his success in discovering a cure for
tuberculosis, upon which we understand he is now working as the
ultimate end of his researches.
A MYSTERY SOLVED!
The Origins of the Druze People and Religion, by Dr. Philip
K. Hitti. Columbia University Press, New York. 88 pp.
What may rightly be classed among the most valuable contributions to the cause of knowledge on the mysterious people
known as Druzes and their religion is Dr. Philip K. Hitti's latest
book on the subject published by the Columbia University Press.
Dr. Hitti is eminently fitted for the task and has acquitted himself well in his undertaking of it. As Prof. Richard Gotheil of
Columbia University appropriately states in his foreword to the
book, "Professor Hitti is probably better fitted to make this attempt than is any other scholar. Born in the Lebanon Mountains, Arabic is his native tongue. As a boy, and as a young man,
he associated with the Druzes. He has had, and still has access
to their literature. It is likely that he knows more about them
than they do about themselves."
The book is an erudite and comprehensive study of the origin
of the Druzes, their theology and folklore. Two photostatic
reproductions of pages of their sacred books are taken from manuscripts in the Garrett collection deposited in the library of
Princeton University.
The book has not yet been placed on the market, and the
above is written after a cursory perusal of an advance copy. We
shall have more to say about this important work of Dr. Hitti
later.
•
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�SEPTEMBER, 1929
43
EDITORIAL COMMENT
public acclaim. In the face of
such unexpected honors, the
editor can account for the spon"THE editor's trip to Syria and taneity and warmth of these
other countries of the East demonstrations only in the light
was a most enjoyable one to of the following reasons:
himself. Let us further hope
First: For being a member
that by the new contacts estab- of the Arabic-language newslished, the experience gained paper fraternity in America
and the first-hand information with which he has been congathered, it will also be a profit- nected in various capacities for
able one to the readers of THE the past thirty years. ConseSYRIAN WORLD.
quently, in honoring him as
Not only in the nature of the such, the honors were really inrecognition given, but also in tended for, and logically dethe profusion of unexpected served by, all his colleagues in
honors displayed, there were America.
marks of the most genuine corSecond: For being a reprediality in the reception. This sentative of that class of Syrian
also resulted in the placing at emigrants who, despite their
the disposal of the editor of ex- loyalty to their adopted countraordinary facilities for the try, retain a love for their mothstudy of all sorts of problems er country and an appreciation
and conditions. He was receiv- of its traditions that prompt
ed by the heads of all the gov- them to proclaim publicly their
ernments of the Syrian States, convictions along that line and
and was extended extraordinary
make no secret of their pride
honors in the form of official
in their ancestry.
banquets by the President and
Third: For having actively
the Prime Minister of the Lebsponsored
the movement to enanese Republic. The reception
by the press of all political courage tourism in Syria, with
shades was also uniformly a view to cultivate an appreciation of its natural and historical
cordial.
The statement was made that excellences.
For this last mentioned reano returning emigrant was ever
son
due credit should be given
given such official recognition or
his arrival hailed with such to Mr. A. K. Hitti whose keen
GRATEFUL
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
i
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�44
vision and sincere love for the
welfare of his mother country
made the launching of this
movement possible.
It can be plainly seen, therefore, that a combination of circumstances placed the editor of
THE SYRIAN WORLD in a situation where he had to be the
recipient of honors which he
believes are due others. Under
the conditions, and with heartfelt appreciation for all testimonials of recognition and affection, both official and private, shown him during his visit to the mother country, he
feels confident that in the expression of his personal gratitude, he is also interpreting the
feelings of his fellow immigrants for all the marks of
love and esteem shown by; our
countrymen abroad.
Naturally, a brief acknowledgment of this character must
of necessity be general. In the
detailed account of his travels
which the editor will prepare
for serial publication, a full
description of places, events
and personalities will be given.
This also will have to be viewed
in the light of recording facts
in relation to their intended objectives, with a view to demonstrating the high esteem in
which our fellow countrymen
of the motherland hold their
brother emigrants in general,
as otherwise it would be im-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
pardonable presumption! on our
part to lay a personal claim to
all honors shown.
THE EDITOR'S
ITINERARY ABROAD
WHILE in Syria, the editor
made Beirut his main headquarters, and the starting point
for the special trips to all other
parts of the country. Zahle,
however, proved to be an irresistible magnet which attracted him on many occasions, and
because of the fact that it is
centrally located, there was always the temptation to take
the drive of less than two hours
over a fine asphalted road leading through mountains and
valleys of bewitching scenery.
Longer trips were taken to
North
Lebanon,
passing
through historic Byblos by the
river Adonis to Batroun, then
to Bcharri and the immortal
Cedars. The stop at Ehden was
utilized to pay homage to the
remains of Joseph Bey Karam,
the most famous Lebanese
patriot and leader of modern
times. Ad-Diman, the summer
seat of the Maronite Patriarch,
situated on a hill overlooking
Wadi Kadisha, or the sacred
valley, was one of the principal
stopping points in this section.
Tripoli and its famous cru-
�"
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44
vision and sincere love for the
welfare of his mother countrymade the launching of this
movement possible.
It can be plainly seen, therefore, that a combination of circumstances placed the editor of
THE SYRIAN WORLD in a situation where he had to be the
recipient of honors which he
believes are due others. Under
the conditions, and with heartfelt appreciation for all testimonials of recognition and affection, both official and private, shown him during his visit to the mother country, he
feels confident that in the expression of his personal gratitude, he is also interpreting the
feelings of his fellow immigrants for all the marks of
love and esteem shown by our
countrymen abroad.
Naturally, a brief acknowledgment of this character must
of necessity be general. In the
detailed account of his travels
which the editor will prepare
for serial publication, a full
description of places, events
and personalities will be given.
This also will have to be viewed
in the light of recording facts
in relation to their intended objectives, with a view to demonstrating the high esteem in
which our fellow countrymen
of the motherland hold their
brother emigrants in general,
as otherwise it would be im-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
pardonable presumption: on our
part to lay a personal claim to
all honors shown.
THE EDITOR'S
ITINERARY ABROAD
Y^HILE in Syria, the editor
made Beirut his main headquarters, and the starting point
for the special trips to all other
parts of the country. Zahle,
however, proved to be an irresistible magnet which attracted him on many occasions, and
because of the fact that it is
centrally located, there was always the temptation to take
the drive of less than two hours
over a fine asphalted road leading through mountains and
valleys of bewitching scenery.
Longer trips were taken to
North
Lebanon,
passi
through historic Byblos by the
river Adonis to Batroun, then
to Bcharri and the immortal
Cedars. The stop at Ehden was
utilized to pay homage to the
remains of Joseph Bey Karam,
the most famous Lebanese
patriot and leader of modern
times. Ad-Diman, the summer
seat of the Maronite Patriarch,
situated on a hill overlooking
Wadi Kadisha, or the sacred
valley, was one of the principal
stopping points in this section.
Tripoli and its famous cru-
l
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SEPTEMBER, 1929
saders' citadel were conveniently reached from this point in
Lebanon, and ja drive over a
fine new highway along the
coast took us through to Latakia, capital of the Alouite State.
Aleppo, in the north of Syria,
was reached by a fine new road
which runs over a range of picturesque mountains and crosses
the Orontes into the vast plains
of that region. Thence the way
led southward again through
Hama and Horns to Baalbeck
and its famous ruins.
Farther inland Damascus
and its famous Ghouta were
visited as well as Houran and
the Druze Mountain, scene of
the last revolution in Syria.
On the return journey the
party had the exciting experience of being lost in the desert
for several anxious hours.
Southern Lebanon also had
its distinctive attractions. Crossing the Bakaa plain to Mashgara, the steep twin mountains
of Al-Towmat were crossed to
Jezzine, whence the way led to
Al-Mukhtara and the palace of
Sitt Nazira Jenblatt, then to
Beit Eddin and its famous palace of Emir Bashir Chehab.
A visit to this section is reminiscent of the old feuds and
struggles for supremacy among
the different clans in Lebanon.
Another trip along the southern coast of Lebanon led
through Shweifat and Damur
45
to the old Phoenician city of
Sidon. Then again up the
mountain to Jedaidat Marjioun
and Hasbaya and across the
Palestine border.
In Palestine the editor met
with many experiences of
which the account published in
this issue covers only a small
part.
And finally it was the home
stretch through Egypt, France
and England.
It may be readily seen from
the extent of the distance covered and the countries visited
that a comprehensive account
of the whole tour cannot be
encompassed by a few articles,
but will have to be spread over
an extensive series.
This
prompts us to ask of those interested in reading about particular sections and conditions
to grant us their indulgence for
the publication of a chronological account.
Besides the written (account,
our readers may expect to see
reproduced in coming issues of
THE SYRIAN WORLD a large
variety of special photographs
of persons and places taken on
the trip. That this number of
the magazine is not profusely
illustrated is because our stock
of photographs covers particularly those countries which were
the principal objective of our
voyage.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
46
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmic
picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever Arabic
dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking writers
who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabic-speaking
world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take no part in
the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our task will
simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and with utmost
sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed
in these editorials.
Editor.
LEBANON NOT FOR
EXPERIMENTATION
Lebanese emigrants are elated at
seeing the efforts of the home press
centered now on the discussion of
the most vital matter confronting
the country, namely, the question of
Lebanon's independence. It is high
time that the term "independence"
for Lebanon be defined so that it
may be understood in the meaning
which true patriots conceive and not
in the manner sought by opportunists, political brokers and jellybone
proteges of special interests.
There are evidences that a certain faction of Lebanese profiteers
is in conspiracy with a certain
French faction of like motives for
depriving Lebanon of its prerogatives
of independence. In the face of
such a condition, the Lebanese emigrants are ready to again take up
the fight in the interest of their
mother country. To this end the
Lebanon League of Progress of New
York has called a meeting in which
a resolution was passed to petition
the French government for the
proper safeguarding of the rights
of Lebanon.
Al-Hoda, N. Y., Oct. 22, 1929.
THE CRIME OF THE ARABS!
Truly the Arabs have sinned
against the Zionists, because the
latter only came to Palestine to
substitute civilization for barbarism, and to help its people emerge
from the dismal darkness in Which
they were plodding aimlessly. Naturally, also, they came to enrich the
people of the country and to live
with them only as brothers!
The Zionists have used their
tainted money, gained by monopoly
and usury, to subsidize the European and American press in an effort to influence world opinion.
But the Arab cause, despite the
funds spent by the Zionists for
propaganda, has not been lacking
of support. There were papers
which refused to sell their honor
for Zionist gold and which placed
truth above personal interests.
Foremost among these papers is
the Daily Mail whose publisher may
rightly claim the undying gratitude
of the Palestinian Arabs for his
fearless support of their cause in
the face of organized Zionist propaganda.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y., Oct. 21, '29.
�SEPTEMBER, 1929
OMENS OF ARAB UNITY
[
The Arabs have shown in the Palestine crisis a fine spirit of unity
which augurs well for the future of
the Arabs in general. For this reason we believe the people of Palestine will sooner or later come into
their rights no matter what the obstacles in their way.
The Arabs are now conscious that
what they lacked is this spirit of
national co-operation which was obstructed in the past by religious differences and sectarian considerations.
That they have now outgrown these
impediments is evidenced by the fact
that Moslems, Christians and Druzes
are now working side by side for
the success of the universal Arab
cause.
We hail this new and healthy spirit among the Arabs and pray for
its continuation. In which case there
would be no further excuse for anyone to insist on the division of
Arabic-speaking countries, especially
Syria, on the ground of incompatibility arising from religious differences. The protagonists of this
principle held that successful unity
could be achieved only on the condition of the eradication of religious
intolerance. Now we see that such a
condition has come to exist, and for
that reason there remains no further excuse for holding out against
unity.
The Syrian Eagle, N. Y., Oct. 15, '29.
CRYING NEED OF SYRIANS
The Syrians in the United States
are facing a serious condition which
if not corrected will lead to deplorable results. They are still, unfortunately, susceptible to the old influences of discord which for long
47
have torn them into numerous factions and prevented their cohesion
as a race. These influences, we are
'rained to admit, emanate from
New York, and, what is worse, they
are the result of the petty newspaper policies which should not aft the course of our life.
Who can deny that we in this
country are more in need of concentrating our attention on our immediate social and economic interests than wasting our time and efforts on old country politics or religious differences which cannot result
in any benefit to us. On the contrary, we can only bring harm upon
ourselves by such diversion of attention because of the resultant disruption in our ranks and the destruction of our chances for creating
a solid, compact racial unit in this
country.
By concentrating our efforts on
promoting our racial welfare in this
country we know that we are striving towards a known and worthy
goal, whereas if we interest ourselves in the polities of the mother
country we do not know the cause
of whom we serve, while the subject
of our interest might be ridiculing
us in secret.
In view of this condition we find
ourselves in absolute need of disregarding these petty differences and
old feuds for the sake of uniting
together in strong racial ties. Especially that we are now in a country which has become our home
whether we so admit or not. And
by binding together and fostering
this spirit of racial unity we will be
i7i a position to present a better
front and not only benefit ourselves
but a^o the coming generations to
whom we would transmit a wholesome spirit of race solidarity.
As-Sayeh, N. Y., Oct. 19. 1929.
�II
—
mammmm
THE SYRIAN WORLD
48
LIFE OF ARABIC
NEWSPAPERS LIMITED
Readers of Arabic newspapers in America have the choice of
two alternatives, either to discontinue or pay. By following either
course they would be bringing relief to themselves and to newspaper
publishers. Unless they are intent
upon torturing the publishers for a
crime of which they are not guilty,
a policy to which we cannot think
they would stoop. For when was
public service considered a crime
which merits punishment?
We do not deny that the days of
Arabic newspapers in this country
are numbered. For this there are
many reasons to which we have alluded on several previous occasions.
But it is unkind of the readers to
bring sorrow and disappointment to
the newspapers in the closing days of
their lives. Rather, it behooves them
to let the newspapers die in peace and
in the feeling of satisfaction that
they have exhausted every effort in
the service of their people and country.
Ash-Shaab, N. Y., Oct. 23, 1929.
FAILURE OF RELIGIOUS
BIGOTRY
We must reiterate our oft repeated
statement that we do not approve of
everything Jewish. The Jews evince
many characteristics which are objectionable, whether in politics, in
business or in social customs. But
we hold that it is cowardice to persecute the weak, especially if he is
of proven worthiness. And the Jew
is worthy in more than one way.
He proves it by his industry, his
learning, his experience and his beneficial example. The neighbors of
the Jew are stimulated by his ex-
ample to more productive effort, and
this alone should outweigh all his
other faults and shortcomings. The
Arabs, to be sure, are sorely in need
of emulating the Jew in his good
qualities.
Al-Hoda, N. Y., Oct. 16, 1929.
KINGS AND PRINCES!
Syrian papers seem to attach
much importance to the rumor that
Fiance has now decided on the
policy of creating Syria a kingdom
and Lebanon a principality. In this
it is following in the footsteps of
England which has sponsored monarchies in all its spheres of influence
in the East. Egypt, Iraq, Al-Hijaz,
and Transjordania have all been
given this form of government.
But why the importation of Emir
Adel Ibn Iyad for the proposed Syrian throne ? Surely there are in Syria
many men who by their descent and
their training are better fitted for
the post.
Then, too, why impose on Syria this
archaic form of government when
she is striving to follow in the footstops of the West in modern administrative methods?"
Undoubtedly, France seeks by this
move to use the king as a puppet
so that her word will be supreme in
the future management of the affairs
of the country.
But as to Lebanon, it is hardly
conceivable that this little country
which has long been trained in the
art of representative government
should be thrown back to autocracy.
What Lebanon needs is not a change
of government but a change of personnel in the government and the
abolition of the excesses which are
causing the country extreme economic retrogression.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y., Oct. 18, '29.
�RECEPTION IN HONOR OF KING FUAD I
Guests at the reception given by the Egyptia n Consul in New York at the Hotel Ambassador Oct. 9 in celebration of the anniversar y of the accession of His Majesty King Fuad
I of Egypt.
�llJ.„^.
„_„^^
•« '
*
?*mMMffli
�SEPTEMBER, 1929
49
f /
Political Developments in Syria
#1
-• i
i
4 1
Rumors persist that there will be
a change in the form of government
in Syria in the near future. The
source of these rumors is Paris and
there are many among the Syrians
who seem to place much credence
in them. The continued absence of
the High Commissioner in Europe,
dividing his time between Geneva
and Paris in an effort to arrive at
some sort of solution of the Syrian
political tangle, is taken by many
as an added proof of some bold
move by France which might not be
far from establishing a monarchy.
The name of the Tunisian Prince
Adel Ibn lyad is frequently connected with the proposed throne in some
reports, while in others France is
said to favor Ahmed Namy Bey,
the damad, who was at one time
president of the Syrian State and
claims a large following among the
Syrians.
Rumor would also have it that
once France proclaims Syria a
monarchy and installs the man of
her choice on the throne, she will
immediately conclude a treaty with
Syria and give it then, and only
then, the right to draft a new constitution. Under these conditions
there would be no further fear that
the constitution could go counter to
the treaty obligations.
In an effort to create the proper
psychology for this change, Sheik
Tajeddin, provisional president of
the Syrian State, is said to be exhausting every effort to come to an
understanding with the Syrian Nationalists who had disowned him after his supposed defection from their
ranks in support of the policy of
the French. President Tajeddin is
known to have had a long conference with Riad'h Bey Sulh, one of
the accredited Syrian representatives
in Europe while the latter was in
Aley, the summer capital of Mt.
Lebanon. This meeting of the two
leaders of opposing groups in Syrian politics gave rise to all sorts of
rumors, but the prevailing interpretation seems to be the one just advanced relative to the intention of
Sheikh Tajeddin.
Following these developments,
Hashem Bey Atasi, leader of the
Nationalists and president of the
Constituent Assembly, was reported
by a native paper to have tendered
his resignation from the leadership
of the party in protest against what
he termed the inconsistency of some
of the Nationalist leaders. Atasi
Bey later denied he had ever made
any disparaging remark against any
of his party or threatened to resign,
but the reporter responsible for the
story was as strongly insistent that
he had done so.
Other reasons advanced for the
reluctance of France to permit any
discussion as to the form of the
Syrian Constitution at the present
time are ascribed to the prevailing
disturbances in Palestine. France is
said to have secured the consent of
the League of Nations to this delay
on the ground that to engage on
such a delicate matter under prevailing conditions of upheaval would
revert to the injury of the cause of
al) European powers among Eastern nations. England is said to have
fully sanctioned this move.
Meanwhile, everything is waiting
upon the return of the High Commissioner who is expected back in
5C9577A
�50
Beirut on Oct. 23. M. Ponsot, quite
characteristically, is keeping silent
on his plans. The latitude he had
given the Nationalists during the
elections to the Constituent Assembly and later during the deliberations as to the form of the constitution represented the maximum he
could give at the time. What new
arrangements he has been able to
come to with the home government
concerning the solution of the Syrian problem during his long stay in
Paris this summer no one knows.
But what seems to be felt is that
France will take some definite action in the matter without further
delay.
DEVELOPMENTS IN LEBANON
Ministerial crises have been taking place in Lebanon at the rate of
one every three months. The cabinet of Bishara Bey Khoury lasted
during the summer recess of the
Representative Assembly only because no action could be taken on
its tender of resignation. The Prime
Minister, conceded to be one of the
ablest lawyers and administrators
in the country, felt compelled to resign only because he could not reconcile between the widely divergent
demands of the many political factions. He was appointed on a program of economy because of the
widespread dissatisfaction over the
present 'high rate of taxation. In
his efforts to effect some economy,
he reduced the ministerial posts
from five to three, but in that he
met with the objection that he was
not dealing fairly with all the religious denominations who have a right
to representation in the cabinet.
Upon the return of M. Emil Eddy
from Paris the latter part of September, the President invited him
•to form a cabinet with a wide lat-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
itude of power. M. Eddy reverted
to the old formation of a cabinet of
five in the hope of satisfying the
different factions. He is said to have
been offered the post while he was
still in Paris, and he profited of the
occasion to discuss the matter with
the High Commissioner and the
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and was promised a free hand in
dealing with the situation.
The formation of the Cabinet, as
announced on Oct. 12, is as follows:
Nejib Bey Abou Sawan, Minister
of Justice.
Moussa Bey Nammour, Minister
of Finance.
Hussein Bey Ahdab, Minister of
Public Works.
Said Ahmed Husseini, Minister of
Agriculture.
The Prime Minister reserved for
himself three portfolios, that of the
Interior, Public Health and Public
Charities.
The economic situation in Lebanon
is causing much eoncern. By a new
arrangement for the distribution of
customs receipts the republic's portion was reduced from the original
47 per cent, to 42 per cent. The
French company holding the tobacco
monopoly has received an extension
of time over the limit of its concession. There is everywhere dissatisfaction over the impediments that
the French are accused of placing
in the way of native enterprise.
«fl
JEBEL DRUZE
The resignation of Col. Clement
Grandcour, military Governor of the
Druze Mountain, was reported in
the Syrian papers of Oct. 8. He
plans to return to France. His successor is Col. Moran.
Jebel Druze remains under direct
French administration since the revolution of 1925-1927.
!
�,
'
SEPTEMBER, 1929
51
About Syria and Syrians
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENTS
OF PALESTINE DISTURBANCES
-1
The disturbances in Palestine have
had their repercussion in all parts
of the world. Organized propaganda
has helped to exaggerate the events
and to place the blame wholly on
one side or the other.
The reasons for the recent occurrences may be said to be both local
and foreign. The last convention of
the Zionists in which it was decided to create a central agency to
vigorously prosecute anew the cause
of Zionism was the foreign cause,
while the local and immediate cause
was the clash over the claims to
Al-Buraq or the Wailing Wall.
Wednesday, August 14, was the
anniversary of the destruction of
the Temple of Solomon and about
ten thousand Jews nocked to Jerusalem to commemorate the event.
On Friday, the 16th, the Moslems
gathered in large numbers in the
Mosque of Omar and held public
demonstrations of protests against
what they claimed was the increasing aggressive designs of the Jews.
On Saturday, the 17th, while some
young Jews were playing football
in a field outside Jerusalem, the ball
fell repeatedly in a tomato patch
owned by Moslems and some plants
were trampled upon: "This led to a
fight between the football players
and the owners of the field which
resulted in nine Moslems and seven
Jews being wounded. The police arrested fourteen Arabs and ten Jews.
One of the wounded Jews died later
in the hospital and his coreligionists staged for his funeral a large
procession which they insisted should
pass through the principal streets
of Jerusalem against the orders of
the police. This time the fight was
between the Jews and the British
military.
A week later, Friday, August 23,
the riots were renewed on a much
larger scale and spread from Jerusalem to many other cities and
towns in Palestine. Reports at the
time represented the occurrences as
a massacre of Jews by Arabs, but
later authenticated statistics showed
that the casualties on both sides
were about equal.
The Syrians in the United States
sympathizing with the Arab cause
sent a delegation to Washington
headed by Ameen Rihani to lay the
case of Palestine before Secretary
of State Stimson. They also held a
national convention in New York
on September 23 at which three organized bodies were represented,
namely, the New Syria Party,
claiming fifty branches throughout the country; the Syrian Pales-,
tinian League and the Moslem Young
Men's Society.
The convention passed resolutions
to fight both Zionist ambitions in
Palestine and Zionist propaganda
abroad, and to help the people of
Palestine to achieve their national
aspirations in establishing a native
government in the country on the
basis of popular representation.
During the three sessions of the
convention Messrs. Salim Towtah of
New York, Ferris Maloof of Boston,
and William Catzeflis of New York,
alternated as chairmen.
Among the speakers at the various
sessions were Dr. Fouad Shatara,
of Brooklyn, Professor R. C. Hana-
�52
way, of Wagner College, Ameen
Rihani, author, E. D. Mady, publisher of As-Sameer; Joseph M.
Khoury, editor of Ash-Shaab; Rajah
Hourany, a Syrian student at Columbia, and Ameen Bey Hamadi, a
political Syrian envoy.
EXTENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
IN WASHINGTON STREET
Washington Street, the heart of
the so-called old Syrian Quarter in
New York, is being gradually transformed from a district of old tenements to one of first class modern
apartments and hotels. It must be
a matter of but a short time when
the section will be known as the
Syrian Quarter no more.
Between the Battery and Morris
St., a forty-story building is rising
to serve as the future home of the
Downtown Athletic Club. This organization draws its membership
from the financial district.
Further to the north, between
Morris and Rector Sts., the Battery
Tower, an apartment hotel of the
first order, is now under construction. The architects' plans call for
an arcade on the street level extending from Washington St. to West
St., while the first seven floors will
be devoted to offices and all other
floors to living quarters. The hotel
will accommodate both permanent
residents and transients.
The north-east corner of Washington and Rector Sts. will soon be
in the hands of wreckers. An office
building will rise on the site and
present tenants have been notified
to vacate by the first of the year.
Other improvements include the
renovation of the facade of the
building of Al-Hoda, the principal
Syrian newspaper in the United
THE SYRIAN WORLD
States, located at 55 Washington
St., and that of St. Joseph's Maronite
church adjoining it. More elaborate
improvements are planned for the
Greek Melchite church at 103 Washington St. along designs prepared
by Harvey Kassab, a Syrian architect of the city.
Notwithstanding all the construction work going on, Rector St. continues to draw shoppers for linens
and fine embroideries from all parts
of the city by reason of the large
number of Syrian shops dealing in
these articles in this locality.
CASE OF SYRIAN
MURDERED IN FLORIDA
The Syrians throughout the United
States were aroused over the murder, on May 16, 1929, of Nicholas
Romey, styled Romeo, and his wife,
in Lake City, Fla. The couple were
reported at the time to have met
their death at the hands of the police
following an altercation over the
display of vegetables on the sidewalk in front of the Syrian's store.
The woman was shot and killed outright while the husband was wounded and taken to jail, and later spirited away by a mob and killed on a
lonely road.
It was the imputation, at the time,
that if the police had not themselves
perpetrated the act, at least it was
done with their connivance.
Following the publication of the
details of the double tragedy in
Syrian newspapers, a committee of
Syrians was formed in Jacksonville,
Fla., to investigate the circumstances
of the murder and take necessary action to bring those guilty to justice.
The Jacksonville committee, after
having conducted a preliminary investigation, decided that it could not
proceed further with the case for
�SEPTEMBER, 1929
lack of sufficient public support. The
funds it had raised were returned
to the contributors.
A relative of the dead couple, who
is the guardian of their minor children and who has moved with them
from Florida to Birmingham, Ala.,
is now attempting to form another
committee to take up interest in the
case. He has published an open letter of appeal in the Arabic press of
New York suggesting the appointment of Dr. H. Elkhoury general
agent to collect funds for the prosecution of the case. The suggestion was well received by the Arabic
papers but no further action on the
matter has been reported.
RECENT AMENDMENTS TO
NATURALIZATION LAW
By Joseph W. Ferris
"pHE Naturalization Law is a mat* ter of general interest and the
difficulty in understanding the provisions because of the technical
language used will excuse their restatement in the following form:
The Amendments went into effect
July 1st, 1929.
1st. The fee for the issuance of
a declaration of intentions (first papers) has been increased from $1 to
$5.
The fee for filing a petition for
naturalization has been increased
from $4 to $10.
In all cases where a certificate of
arrival is required, a charge in the
form of a fee of $5.00 is made for
the issuance of this certificate,
whether it is issued for a declaration or a petition.
Where the certificate of arrival
is obtained, prior to the filing of the
declaration of intention it can be
used as the basis for filing a peti-
53
tion for naturalization at such time
as the declarant is in a position to
complete his naturalization.
2nd. All aliens arriving before
June 3rd, 1911, who cannot definitely
prove the exact time and manner
of arrival or aliens who came to
this country without the payment of
a head tax before July 3rd, 1921,
are now able to have their legal
residence established by payment of
a $20. fee.
Applications should be made to
the nearest Immigration office to establish residence.
Establishing a legal residence is
an absolute prerequisite of final naturalization or citizenship.
3rd. A residence of one year in
the State immediately preceding
filing of a petition for naturalization was repealed and a six months
residence in the county has been
substituted in its place.
4th. No declaration of intention
(first paper) on and after July 1st
can be made regardless of the date
of arrival of the applicant in this
country until a certificate has been
furnished showing his arrival in the
United States for permanent residence.
Previously this procedure was
practiced only in cases of those
aliens arriving after June 3rd, 1921,
by regulation of the Department of
Naturalization.
5th. It is necessary to submit
with the application for declaration
of intention or petition for naturalization two full face photographs of
the applicant, two and one half
inches by two and one half inches.
These photographs should be unmounted, printed on thin paper, with
a light background, clearly showing
a full front view of the features of
the applicant, without a hat, and
must be taken within thirty days of
the date they are furnished.
�' —"" "•"-
"--
—-
54
Full length portraits, snapshot*
or group pictures will not be accepted.
The applicant must sign each
copy of the photograph in such a
way as not to obscure the features.
6th. Copies of a lost, destroyed
or mutilated declaration of intention or certificate of naturalization
can now be issued only by the Commissioner of Naturalization. The
fee for this is $10.
7th. The recent amendments also
include a new feature of the law.
It provides for the issuance of certificate of derivative citizenship.
A married woman claiming citizenship through her husband, or any
child over the age of 21, claiming
citizenship through a parent, may
upon the payment of $15.00 ($5.00 for
the issuance of certificate of arrival
and $10.00 for the issuance of certificate of derivative citizenship)
make application for one of these
certificates and after furnishing said
evidence or proof that the citizenship was so derived, a certificate will
be issued.
8th. Prior to July 1st of this year,
depositions necessary to prove residence outside of the State in which
a petition was filed were taken by
a notary public for a fee fixed by
the notary. Now all depositions will
be taken by naturalization examiners without charge.
ANOTHER SYRIAN
ADMITTED TO BAR
Mr. George J. Mandour, son of
Mr. J. A. Mandour, founder of the
Lebanon National Bank, was admitted to the bar in New York
State and has taken up offices at 80
Maiden Lane, New York City.
—
THE SYRIAN WORLD
LEBANON LEAGUE TO
HOLD ENTERTAINMENT
According to an announcement in
Al-Hoda, the Lebanon League of
Progress of New York will give an
entertainment at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on November 23 for
which a varied program has been
arranged.
S. A. Mokarzel, editor of The
Syrian World, who has returned recently from a visit to Syria, will
speak in Arabic on his experiences
and observations. He is expected to
give a comprehensive analysis of
conditions in general from the point
of view of an impartial observer.
Mr. Zaki Murad, a visiting singer
from Egypt, together with Mme. Fedora Kurban and Mrs. Julia Asia,
will co-operate in giving an extensive musical program.
RECEPTION IN HONOR
OF EGYPTIAN KING
His Excellency Anis Azer Bey,
Royal Egyptian consul in New York,
gave a reception at the Hotel Ambassador on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 9, on the occasion
of the anniversary of the accession
of His Majesty King Fuad I of
Egypt.
The reception was attended by
over two hundred guests representing the diplomatic, social and business world of the city.
Mme. Fedora Kurban, the talented
Syrian singer, styled the Syrian
nightingale, gave several operatic
selections which were well received
by the critical audience.
The Syrian newspaper editors of
New York were invited to the reception. Among those present were
N. A. Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda;
/
�J. - —I
..,
SEPTEMBER, 1929
Ameen Rihani, Syrian author and
lecturer, and S. A. Mokarzel, editor
of The Syrian World.
RADIO TALKS BY
SYRIAN WORLD EDITOR
'.
Twice during the month of October, on the 9th and the 23rd, the
editor of The Syrian World gave
short radio talks over station WPCH
in New York City on the subject of
his recent trip to Syria. The talks
were in the form of interviews with
Miss Theresa Nagel.
On both occasions the interview
was made to cover such subjects as
the historic importance of the country, its principal cities, its present
form of government and the social
conditions of its inhabitants. A
statement on the number and general status of the Syrians in the
United States was also brought out in
the radio interview.
t
«
SYRIAN PRIVATE
BANK SUCCESSFUL
A report of the condition of D. J.
Faour & Bros., private Syrian Bankers in New York, as of September
27, 1929, published in the Journal
of Commerce of October 5, gives
the total resources of this institution as $1,381,740.15.
A comparative statement issued
by the bank covering the last ten
years shows that its resources have
increased almost 100 per cent, during this period, being in 1919 only
slightly over $600,000. Their statement for this year shows that the
public securities alone they own is
much above the whole amount of
their combined resources a decade
ago.
55
LARGE ENROLLMENT
AT THE A. U. B.
Albert W. Staub, American Director of the six American Colleges in
the Near East, recently stated that
in spite of the disturbances in Palestine, enrollment at the American
University of Beirut is larger than
ever before and that more Palestinian students have enrolled than in
previous years.
Mr. Staub said that 233 Palestinians are studying at the University
this year whereas only 215 were enrolled last year and that there has
been a corresponding increase in
the number of students from other
countries of the Middle East including Egypt, Persia, Iraq and
Trans jordania.
The total enrollment in the University including the practice teaching school is 1,371. An Institute of
Music, opened this fall as a new
school in the University, has an enrollment of forty-two students. The
Institute of Music is really the outgrowth of a series of concerts given
at the University to cultivate an interest and understanding of classical
European music.
TWO SYRIAN ENGINEERS
Messrs. Aziz Tabet and Sadek Baroody, both of Beirut, have graduated this year from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with
honors, the first in the textile option of engineering and the second
in civil engineering. Both young
engineers are expected to leave in
the near future for Syria to engage
at their chosen profession. It is expected that their services will be
much in demand in the present stage
of development in that country.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
56
INDUSTRIAL EXPOSITION
IN DAMASCUS
As a means of demonstrating the
extent of progress of native industries, an exposition was held in Damascus during the first two weeks
of September which is said to have
proved a great success. Exhibitors
flocked to it from Beirut, Aleppo,
Horns, Hama and other cities known
for their special industries. The attendance was comparatively large,
averaging about ten thousand a day.
It is claimed by the sponsors of the
exposition that it had the effect of
stimulating appreciably consumption
of home products and manufactures.
The principal exhibits, representing the relative importance of home
products, may be classified as follows:
Textiles—comprising wool, cotton
and silk manufactures. This branch
of Syrian industry is expanding so
as to take in the manufacture of
materials for all contemporary needs,
from dresses and underwear to
broadcloth and heavy tapestries.
Tanning—this industry has so far
advanced in its methods that the
raw material, a native product, is
turned into finished form through all
the modern processes known to the
industry.
Furniture—Aside from the wellknown native makes, this industry
is now producing articles for all
modern requirements. Some factories in Damascus and Beirut are
known to be equipped for the production of complete sets for all home requirements designed to meet the
most exacting tastes.
Brass Ware—comprising the famous manufactures of Damascus in
this line with notable modern improvements.
The sponsors of the industrial exposition plan to make it an annual
event, in the hope of not only promoting home industry but of creating a better market for its products.
To that end they are now fostering
the creation of a permanent central
body representing the principal
chambers of commerce of the country to work collectively for the common cause.
COMPANY TO EXPLOIT
THE DEAD SEA
A $2,000,000 company to exploit
the vast chemical resources of the
Dead Sea was formally registered
in London Oct. 31 under the name
of Palestine Potash, Ltd., according
to a special dispatch to the New
York Times.
Actual work will be begun immediately at the confluence of the
River Jordan and the Dead Sea,
Where elaborate drying plants have
been erected and 400 workers engaged.
The Earl of Lytton, former Viceroy of India, will be chairman of
the new company, which intends to
increase its capitalization as business warrants. Shares already have
been subscribed by the British and
American directors, but additional
capital will be offered to the public
in accordance with the terms of the
concession.
Among the American directors
are Felix Warburg and Bernard
Flexner of New York.
Although the start necessarily will
be slow, the company is bound by its
concession to produce at least 50,000 tons of potassium chloride annually after the tenth year. The
work will be carried out by means
of huge drying tanks built on the
hills on each side of the Jordan's
mouth.
./
�SEPTEMBER, 1929
57
A VALUABLE GIFT
TO SUBSCRIBERS OF THE SYRIAN WORLD
We wish to double the number of our subscribers before
Christmas.
THE SYRIAN WORLD will be better than it has ever been before, and we would like to see it more generally circulated among
the Syrians of America. Our regular subscribers who have loyally
stood by us and encouraged us in our efforts during the past three
years need no inducement. But to those who have not yet had occasion to be acquainted with the publication, and to those who are
willing to co-operate in enlarging its circulation, we make the
following liberal introductory offer:
Every -paid subscriber making a gift of a subscription, or procuring a new direct subscription, will receive free any one of the
books listed below. For every additional subscription he receives
an additional book.
»
'
Think of the opportunity of securing free one or more of
these fine books by two of our foremost authors. Think of the
timeliness of making gift subscriptions of THE SYRIAN WORLD to
your friends durng the Christmas season and securing for yourself a free fine gift besides. Especially that the gifts are books
that all Syrians should be proud to possess.
BOOKS GIVEN SYRIAN WORLD SUBSCRIBERS
The books we are offering as prizes are the following:
The Syrians in America — By Dr. Philip K. Hitti.
The Path of Vision, A book of Prose — By Ameen Rihani.
A Chant of Mystics and Other Poems, A book of Selected Poetry,
By Ameen Rihani.
Here is a wide range of subjects for your selection—History,
Essays and Poetry. And each or all are yours for only the little
effort of procuring a new subscriber.
Besides, you have the satisfaction of helping propagate an
organ published for you and your cause.
Won't you show your interest?
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
TWO NEW BOOKS
By Dr. PHILIP K. HITTI
(Not only for the scholar but for everybody)
THE ORIGINS
PEOPLE AND
EXTRACTS
SACRED
OF THE DRUZE
RELIGION WITH
FROM THEIR
WRITINGS
This is the first scholarly attempt
to determine the basic dogmas and
tenets of belief of a unique, secret
Oriental sect, and to trace them
back, through Mohammedan channels, into Jewish, Christian and other
sources. After a brief presentation
of the racial and historical background of the Druze people—from
the time they figured first in the
period of the Crusades down to their
recent armed uprising against the
French mandate in Syria—, their
theology with its deification of alHakim and his Five Ministers, and
its emphasis on Prophetic Succession is outlined. This is followed by
a discussion of their esoteric and
mystical interpretation of the Koran,
the Cult of the Calf, their belief in
transmigration of souls, predestination, dissimulation and the seven
moral precepts of Hamza'h. The Appendix includes six extracts from
their sacred writings most of which
have never appeared before in any
European language. Even in Arabic,
the originals are almost inaccessible.
Price $2.00
AN ARAB-SYRIAN GENTLEMAN
AND WARRIOR IN THE PERIOD
OF THE CRUSADES
Usamah was a warrior, a hunter,
a gentleman and a poet who sojourned in the courts of the Fatimite
caliph in Cairo, of Saladin in Damascus and of Zanki in al-Mawsil.
His Memoirs, of which only one copy
is preserved in the Escurial Spain,
constitute an invaluable contribution to our knowledge of Arab-Syrian culture in itself and in its relation to Western thought and practice.
Usamah gives us a first-hand description of some of the battles in
which he took part in the defence
of his castle, Shayzar, against the
Fianks and native enemies. He then
devotes a section to rare anecdotes,
more delectable than which can be
found nowhere in Arabic Literature.
In their simplicity of narrative, dignity and wealth of contents and general human interest, these Memoirs
stand unexcelled in the literature of
the Crusades. They acquaint us
with the Syrian methods of warfare,
hawking and medication and usher
us into the intimacies of Moslem
court life as well as private home
life.
Price $4.50
Other works by the same author
THE SYRIANS IN AMERICA
$1.25 postpaid.
ON SALE AT THE OFFICE OF THE SYRIAN WORLD
I
I
i
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Dublin Core
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Title
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The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
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Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
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New York Public Library
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
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1926-1935
Relation
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<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
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English
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
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NS 0002
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
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Identifier
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TSW1929_09reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 04, Issue 01
Date
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1929 September
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 4 Issue 01 of The Syrian World published September 1929. The issue begins with a chronological report of editor Salloum Mokarzel's trip abroad. This travel journal details the journey to Syria. Following it is a riddle translated from Arabic by J.D. Carlyle titled "Fire." Ameen Rihani has an article next that discusses mandates in the Near East, specifically a review of the First Decade of European Supervision over Iraq, Syria, and Palestine. Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin continues the issue with a poem titled "Thwarted," which seems to discuss the loss of his beloved. Following it is a short story titled "Isaf" by Labeebee A. J. Hanna, based on an Arabic legend. Both Thomas Asa and Alice McGeorge have poems featured in the issue, followed by an account of the Palestine Riots by Salloum Mokarzel. The Palestine Riots were a major event concerning the dispute between Arabs and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press and more on the political developments in Syria.
Subject
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Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
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English
Creator
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
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New York Public Library
Publisher
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
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Text/pdf
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Text
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Alice McGeorge
Ameen Rihani
Iraq
Jerusalem
Labeebee A.J. Hanna
New York
Palestine
Poetry-English
Salim Alkazin
Syria
Thomas Asa
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/9489f21307bc72982ae4402f3bc59ff0.pdf
af7da620b0317654e419365c801d18e9
PDF Text
Text
VOL. III. No. 5
m
NOVEMBER, 1928
THF
SYRIAN WORLD
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH DEALING
m
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
m
THE LEPER AND THE BRIDE OF GALILEE
AMEEN RIHANI
AN INTRODUCTION TO SYRIAN WORLD POLITICS
REV. W. A. MANSUR
JESUS THE SON OF MAN
KAHLIL GI BRAN
CAN WE RETAIN OUR HERITAGE
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
THOBET AND LEILA
DR. SALIM Y. ALKAZIN
RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
��rfl
I
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Enteted as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. III.
No. 5
NOVEMBER, 1928
CONTENTS
PAGE
The Leper and the Bride of Galilee
3
AMEEN RIHANI
From the Arabic
7
An Introduction to Syrian World Politics
REV. W. A. MANSUR
8
Moderation
Translated from the Arabic by J. D.
15
CARLYLE
Tobet and Leila
16
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
18
Freedom
BENJAMIN
T.
HOFFIZ
Books and Authors
A New Life of Christ by a Syrian Author.
Son of Man, by Kahlil Gibran,
Jesus, the
19
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
A Man From Lebanon Nineteen Centures Afterward
21
KAHLIL GIBRAN
The Sage of Washington Street (On the Marriage Problem Among Syrians)
27
A. HAKIM
Subterfuge
32
Economic Recovery in Syria
33
The Value of a Reputation
35
Can We Retain Our Heritage? (A Call to Form a Federation of Syrian Societies
36
SALLOUM A. MOKARZEL
Arab Proverbs
40
Editorial Comment
Recognizing Racial Groups
A Syrian University in America
Honoring Our Talent
41
42
44
Spirit of the Syrian Press
45
Readers* Forum
49
Political Developments in Syria
51
About Syria and Syrians
54
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Jesus the Son of Man
Tiberias and Its Lake
�HMMMHJ
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. III.
No. 5
NOVEMBER, 1928
The Leper and the Bride of
Galilee
By AMEEN RIHANI
Written especially for The Syrian World.
MO country, however removed from civilization, is unchanging;
and no people, however rebel]ions, can free themselves entirely of their traditions. This double nature of the law of growth
and decay, ineffective in the face of the immutable, is manifest in
all nations, who, while yielding to the dominating influences of the
times, retain more or less their original genius and one or more of
their principal characteristics.
A striking example is Palestine. For maugre Zionism and
Tel Aviv and the Hebrew University and the Bezalel School of
Arts and Crafts, and maugre Arab nationalism and British rule,
old Jerusalem, a piece of junk in the Junk-Shop of the East,
still remains. A more striking example in Palestine is Galilee.
For maugre all the agricultural settlements of Esdraleon—the
hay wagons and the jitneys and the little Amazons of Israel in
bloomers—the country still retains something of the beauty that
appeals both to the spiritual and the sensuous in us. Indeed, and
although it is overrun tomorrow by the tribes of Trans-Jordania
or by the commercial syndicates of Europe, this beauty will
endure.
But there are two melancholy notes in it, a shriek and a
moan,—a high note and a low;—two cities, the one above, the
other below, the sea. The traditional "den of thieves" in which
the greatest Exponent of the truth divine was born, casts a hungry look upon Esdraleon while it consoles itself with "the bread
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
of life"; and the traditional "hot-bed of lechery" in which the
austerity of Judaism found voice, wallows in the gutters of charity down below Esdraleon. Nazareth and Tiberias;—the one
is a bride in sack-cloth, the other a leper in faded purple. The
leper and the bride,—and between them, to feed the one and to
starve, though unwittingly, the other, are the wheat fields and
the jitneys and the little Amazons in bloomers.
No country in the world has had and still has a more varied
life, both human and divine, than Palestine;—this Palestine,
which holds in the palm of her hand the apples of Sodom and
the snow-crowned peaks of Mt. Hermon. Consider one phase
of its life. The jitney and the tomb of Maimonedes balance
today, in a certain sense, the jitney and Bolshevism. The truth
of the present, however, is but a thin crust over the rust of the
past. In no part of Palestine is this better exemplified than in
Galilee; and in no city of Galilee does the melancholy condition
find a more eloquent tongue than in Tiberias.
Nature, too, cruel in her constancy, immoral in her indifference, continues to produce her symbols of elegance and depravity as well as of picturesqueness and sloth. The Oshr tree still
bears the apples of Sodom, and the "camphire of Engedie" still
yields the henna for the Bride in sack-cloth .and for the leper in
purple.
Historians and sociologists can perhaps fathom the causes
and adumbrate the effects of the breach between the people and
their surroundings. They can also philosophize about the nature
of the bridge, its structure and strength, that should connect the
present with the past. For my part whether the bridge be of gossamer or stone, of moonshine or of steel, the facts of the present
are overwhelming. They are also tormenting.
But the picture, whether fascinating or appalling,—in this
instance, it is both appalling and fascinating,—has a certain appeal. For the variety, the beauty and the strangeness of naturephenomena contrasting with the monotony, the ugliness and the
indolence of life, are nowhere so striking as in Galilee and particularly in Tiberias. Indeed, despite its new quarter Kiriah
Schmuel and its palm saplings and its unfinished sanatorium,
Ti.berias still remains a black spot upon the Lake! and between
its natives, mostly Jews, and the strenuous Zionists of the settlements there is a chasm as deep and discouraging as that which
extends between Mt. Hermon and the Dead Sea,
�k\
NOVEMBER, 1928
But considered deeper, one finds a corresponding gradation
in the scale of being:—geology co-ordinating with history symbolizes in the different chapters of its story the various stages
in the life of the race. It is an epic, which begins and ends in
extremes. For whatever may come upon the land, the memory
of the Founder of Christianity, as eternal as the hills, rises like
Mt. Hermon on the one side, while on the other, down in the
Ghor, are the miasmas of nature and man. The chasm between
the two is filled with the glaring and bewildering contrarieties
in nature-phenomena and historic events. Here is a divine atmosphere shedding its balm upon a black city of disease; there is
a vestige—one of many—of the glory of man sanctified with
divine sacrifice and the sanctity of truth sullied with human sloth
and knavery. Yonder are mineral springs and sweet silvery
streams mingling with the waters of the Jordan; and not far
from the basalt of Gennesaret is the bitumen of the Dead Sea.
These are but a few of the striking values in the canvas.
The theory and the fact are one, both in nature and in life,
upward and downward in the scale. For although through the
temple, in which was heard the word divine, now blow the four
winds of poverty, ignorance, squalor and vice; and although the
Kingdom of Heaven be transformed into slums and clerical and
governmental Juhannams; and although nothing of the spiritual beauty now remains but a melancholy memory, the Tiberias country in Spring is nevertheless a veritable paradise.
And Gennesaret is its capricious queen. Gennesaret, the
bride of the Jordan, now surging towards him, now receding from
him;—panting with love, foaming with wrath;—spending its
azure beauty at the chibed and mud-bespattered feet of Tiberias;—throbbing under the morning sun that kisses the brow of
Mt. Hermon;—languishing in the afternoon shades of sable
hills;—mingling, in her secret moods, in nooks and hollows, with
murky sedgy streams;—responsive alike to the barren brindled
cliffs and the fragrant sylvan spurs that are mirrored in her heart;
—nursing in her bosom the volcanic fire;—reflecting her genius
in baleful bogs and riant fields where the papyrus still waves
its antique pennant and the oleanders bloom;—teaching her turtle
doves the threnody of the years, which bring their flowers every
spring to the tombs of spiritual glory and moral beauty that once
graced her shores,—Gennesaret gives us, indeed, a scientific
guide as well as a book of revelation.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
For does she not lead us southward to the first round of the
ladder of life, many hundred feet below the sea, and northward
to the top, many thousand feet above it? And does she not
carry us from the spiritual wilderness around her back to the
divine beauty that was once transfigured before? There is in this
little spfct of the world, which the scientist, the traveller and the
moralist can traverse in a day, the living history of many housand
years, the living miracle of Christianity, as well as the living
truth of the cruelty of dogma, which is inseparable from mental
sloth and human sorrow. For although in the glorious sunrise
and in the glowing sunset the inner vision can still behold the
prophet's chariot of fire, down in the Ghor of life, in the human
abysses, is heard the sardonic laugh of Eblis.
Yea, under the blue eye of Gennesaret there is a Juhannam
beside which pales any of the slums of the great cities in Europe
and America. There is in Tiberias a human misery that evokes
no sympathy, awakens no pity j—a misery abhorrent and repellent, which praises Allah for its pillow of filth and sloth j—a
miasma engendered by the resignation and hebetude that have
outlived many generations.
Are then the Jews of Tiberias a refutation of the spiritual
truth that was revealed in their own land? Are they the embodiment, in the very cradle of Judaism and Christianity, of
spiritual asphyxia and mental and moral cancer? And is the
running sore without end? Or is the end coming with Zionism?
Zionism, which prates of Maimonedes and Rabbi Afliba in Tiberias, and brandishes the torch of Sovietism in Tel Aviv, and raises
a throne to Syndicalism in Jaffa, and applies itself assiduously to
the arts and crafts in Jerusalem, while still wailing beneath a
Wall of Faith hallowed by the kisses and tears of a hundred generations, does this Zionism know its own mind? If it has not an
undivided purpose, a clear and single vision, how long will it be
before it breaks up and is dismembered at the crossroads of the
Times.
There is even a communistic, an all-f or-all community near
Baisan; but to Tiberias it is as barren spiritually as Nazareth and
intellectually as Esdraleon. It does not contribute a mite in
alms. A loaf of bread, in sooth; for the natives of Tiberias have
lived and still live by bread alone. To be exact, the Lake itself
is one of their many benefactors. It contributes their principal
�I___^
NOVEMBER, 1928
fjf
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I
7
food—fish. I wonder if that is why its population pullulates.
And like fish, it is insensible to Tel Aviv and Zezalel.
Little wonder that the supreme heritage of Galilee is no
more to Tiberias than is the oleande bloom to the fish in the
lake. Aye, although all around are healing influences, beautiful
scenes invoking the noblest feelings, tokens of the strivings and
the triumphs of heroic souls, the ichthyophagous Tiberians
continue to grope in darkness and wallow in the mires of misery
and sorrow.
But let us be just. A man with a carbuncle on the back of
his neck can not look up to the sky. And the leper in purple
has a carbuncle on the back of his neck. Take him to the settlements? He is too lazy to work. Take him to Tel Aviv, or bring
Tel Aviv to him? He is too demoralized to utter a cry or to
entertain a hope. Take him to the Wall? That perhaps is beter suited to his humor. But we are humanitarians and we wjuld
save even those that can do nothing but weep. Very well, cut
off the carbuncle. But who is going to do it? Zionism? 1 have
my doubts about it. The British Mandate? I am not certain
that the British think it worth the trouble.
Not «^en the Arabs, methinks, will bother. For although
they look upon the natives of Tiberias, of all of Palestine, as thcr
brothers, alien to Zionism, they consider any interference with
their lot, which is, like that of most Orientals, bound up with their
religion, as contravening the fundamental principle of nationalism. The status quo of the natives of the land—Muslems and
Christians and Jews—is one of the arguments of the Arab nationalists against Zionism. Tiberias, therefore, will remain
what it is until its population, to drop the metaphor, ceases to
pullulate.
FROM THE ARABIC
There are two things the true value of which is appreciated
only when lost: Health and Youth.
To remain silent until you are invited to speak is much better than to continue speaking until you are silenced.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
8
An Introduction to Syrian World
Politics
By
REV.
W. A.
MANSUR
FTiE Convocaton of the Syrian Constituent Assembly marks the
formal entrance of the Syrian nation into the field of world
politics. The World War brought Syria into the field of European politics, the Syrian Civil. War into Syrian national politics,
and the convocation of the Syrian Constituent Assembly into
world poltics. S. A. Mokarzel is right in saying, "The convocation of the Syrian Constituent Assembly, now in session in Damascus, marks the first important constructive step taken by either
the Mandatory Power or the Syrians themselves in the logical
course fpr the stabilization of government in Syria." (Syrian
World, August, 1928} italics mine.)
The birth of the new nationalism, the drafting of a constitution, and the aspiration for independence demand the study of
world politics by Syrian patriots. A homogeneous nationalism
is essential to the unity, stability and progress of a free people.
A united patriotic spirit is fundamental to a constitution infused
whit the Syrian national soul. The aspiration for independence
calls for the knowledge of the history, methods and politics controlling world politics.
Intelligent understanding of world politics is necessary to
Syria's right thinking, rational understanding, and sound nationalism. Without it, confusion will remain in the background of
the people's thinking. Without it, partisanship will govern Syrian leadership. Without it, division will continue to separate the
people. Intelligent understanding of world politics will clarify
the vision, unite the thinking, and create a cooperative spirit and
will help toward the realization of the nation's highest purposes.
I. The meaning of World Politics, its power in international relations, and its relation to Syria are vital to Syria's progressive
nationalism.
The meaning of world politics should be the first lesson
Syrians should learn since Syria's entrance into the field of world
CO
H
a
<
CO
<
�TIBERIAS AND ITS LAKE
Prevailing Conditions in this ancient town of Palestine fall under the
merciless indictment of Ameen Rihani.
��NOVEMBER, 1928
9
politics. It is a new lesson for the masses. It is highly technical,
unfamiliar, and perplexing. It demands serious thinking, patient
study, and careful application.
"World politics is the science of government as practiced
in international relations, under the influence of real or fancied
interests in other than neighboring countries or those with which
relations of reciprocal advantage are naturally maintained," says
Herbert Adams Gibbons in "Introduction to World Politics.."
Referring to the nations he says, "But when they become friends
or enemies because of rivalry for political influence and economic
advantages in regions where their aim is to enjoy, exclusively if
possible, the fruits of economic imperialism, friends and enemies
are made, not by natural affinities or by good or evil done *•„ each
other, but by considerations of world politics."
Lord Cromer tells us in his "Modern Egypt" of the spirit,
methods and aims as practiced in world politics. Writing of semicivilized countries where rulers possess incomplete sovereign
rights, "In such countries, some European Powers have interests
which they wish to safeguard without arousing the jealousy of
their rivals by too open an assertion of strength, whilst others are
let to claim a seat at the international table in order to assert their
political existence and to remind the world that their interests,
albeit they are of relatively slight importance, cannot be altogether neglected.."
The knowledge of the history of world politics is vital to
the Syrian nation. Syrians should familiarize themselves with
the foreign policies of France, England, Italy, Russia, the United
States and other nations. This will guide Syria's foreign policies,
unite Syria's leadershhip, and create a more intelligent nationalism
among the people.
II. The realization of Syria's geographical -position is necessary
to Syria's international relations, political life, and national
progress.
A study of the world map will show the strategic position
of Syria. The importance of this fact is of first magnitude.
One cannot understand Syria's history without realizing her geographical relations. Syria's political life is vitally related to her
geographical situation.
"The influence of the strategic position occupied by these
lands of the Near East is not less great in the world of politics.
�—--
10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
uZJl *% T WhCr the Crusade" of Western Europe
turned their thoughts to the Holy City of the East, these lands
haye lain at the crux of all world politics. And the very geographical position which they occupy must perforce continue them at
the center of all international relationships. Just as the geographical position determines to a great extent commercial prosperity so also that same position determines political impor"Geography shapes though it does not control history ," says
Basil Mathews in the "Riddle of Nearer Asia." Geography shapes
the naval policy of the British Empire, the army policy of the
French Republic, the foreign policy of the United States. The
neglect of the geographical factor will distort the patriot's vision, misshape his international policies, and defeat his highest
hopes. Consider Syria's relation to her neighbors on the North,
South and East. Consider the interest of European and Asiatic
nations in the international politics of these nations. Consider
their military and economic interest. Giving the geographical
factor the right place in the nation's thinking will largely determine the spirit of its nationalism, the nature of its constitution,
thd needs of the nation, and its relations to other nations."
III. There must be an understanding of the nature of the interest
of European powers in Syria, their mutual agreements regarding the Near East, and the controlling policies of each
nation.
"Ideals and sentiments of humanity have no place in world
politics," says Gibbons in "Introduction to World Politics.."
_
The following is a graphic portrayal of Europe's interest
in the Near East: "Because the Suez Canal is the route to India,
uif «Sn xeTstabl^shed herself ^ Egypt," says William H.
Hall in The Near East, Cross Road of the World.." "Because
Russia threatened to overrun Persia and encroach upon India the
British must needs exercise a controlling influence in southern
Persia an dthe Persian Gulf. Because all her northern ports
were icebound for half the year, and her only outlet to the south
was through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, which were
dominated by Constantinople, Russia planned and intrigued and
fought for the possession of that city and its adjacent territory.
France, Italy, and Greece each marked out for themselves colo-
�NOVEMBER, 1928
n
nies in Syria and Asia Minor which they wanted when the day of
division should come. And Germany and Austria, conceiving
their great strategy of a central empire from the North Sea to the
Persian Gulf, became profoundly interested in playing the diplomatic game at the Sublime Porte.
"Each nation has already secured in one or more of these
Eastern lands some special commercial right, some railway, harbor, or mining concession, and each had, little by little, fixed its
hold on the particular territory which to it seemed especially
desirable."
Underneath the attitudes and movements of European
Powers is their personal ambition. The history of European nations supports this assertion. It is useless to consider religion,
philanthropy, democracy when the pages of history are replete
with the imperialism of the nations. And what is true of Europe
is likewise true of Asiatic Powers.
The basis of the interest of the nations in Syria is upon that
of conquest, Europe's "sphere of influence" policy, or that of barter or exchange. Our hope for Syria is that she may enter into
mutual understanding with other nations, and such relationship
to be based on an exchange of privileges, economic, military, commercial and otherwise.
i
IV. Thorough information regarding Europe's program of economic exploitation, its place in modern diplomacy, and its
relation to Syria.
Western civilization is dominated by the passion of exploitation. Three factors brought this about: Europe's increasing population, her industrial revolution, and the demand for raw material. Europe could not do this at home, so she cast wistful eyes
abroad. Modern inventions and discoveries accelerated this
"While one may claim that international relations have always been affected by outside interests and ambitions," says Gibbons in "An Introduction to World Politics," "it was not until
the nineteenth century that Europe began to exploit the rest of
the world." Economic exploitation is a first essential in the catechism of. European world politics. Peace, civilization, religion,
are secondary factors in her program of exploiting the rest of
the world.
.
a
How does this European program of exploitation attect the
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syrian nation? George Adam Smith says in "Syria and the Holy
Land": "We can feel the acuteness of the problems which thus
arise in her administration. They have been complicated by the
political envies and intrigues of half Asia and all Europe." And
William H. Hall writes of the breakup of the Near East: "Out
of this jumble of foreign influence and exploitation—." The
Syrian nation must face these realities. These influences must
form a vital chapter in Syria's primer of national as well as world
politics. They influence her law-making body, her economic
policies, and her international relations. The hope of Syria lies
in adequate tariff regulations, developing agriculture and dairying, and the establishment of relations that will develop the nation's resources. The happiness of the Syrian people depends on
the nation's economic program. Syrian economists should bend
every effort to bring about such economic conditions which will
make for better living, create new opportunities, and lead to economic independence.
V. The Syrian nation must remember the importance of the influences of western institutions ufon her civilization, politics,
and education.
The West is seeking to infuse the East with its civilization.
Its religious, educational and political institutions are scattered
throughout the Near East. The West is in practical control of
the greater part of the East. The West is trying to "reform"
the East. This has come to be a studied, planned, and working
program of the West.
"In the East, we are attempting to put new wine into old
bottles," Lord Cromer quotes Bagehot in "Modern Egypt," "to
pour what we can of a civilization whose spirit is progress into
a form of civilization whose spirit is fixity; and whether we succeed or not is perhaps the most interesting question in an age
abounding almost beyond example in questions of political interest JJ
*
The renaissance which took place in Europe is now taking
place in the Near East. The Syrian race is welcoming every influence that will make for the rebirth of the Syrian people. The
reawakening of the Syrian consciousness, the revival of man's
powers, and the desire for progress is now going on. The Syrian
nation will appropriate from every racial and national culture that
which will make for its own betterment.
�NOVEMBER, 1928
M
The problems of the Syrian nation will rise out of the attempt to adapt the new amidst the old, and adjust the old to the
new. The dangers will rise when reforms are made at too quick
a pace. But the Syrian is talented in the art of adaptability. The
problems of the West are becoming the problems of the East:
suffrage, child labor, tariff and taxation, agriculture, education,
law observance, capital and labor.
Talcott Williams says in an Introduction to Philip K. Hitti's
"The Syrians in America": "Syria and Syrians constitute the first
land and the first people in Southwestern Asia who have entered
into modern civilization. They stand alone in this. If Syria
were an islanded land, instead of being for four thousand years
a thoroughfare of conquering peoples, swept by many tides, it
would be, in its place, as striking an example of progress as
Japan." With the aid, experience, and example of Western leadership, Syria will be better able to guide herself to national progress, prosperity and happiness.
VI. The contributions of history and integral elements in Syria's
national life, in European world -politics, and of Syria's
future.
We must ever remember that history is a live thing in world
politics, especially Syria's world politics. To understand the Syrian soul one must know Syria's history, her relation to other nations, her religious makeup, her geographical position, her great
characters, her contributions to mankind.
Let us throw into bold relief one historical element whose
many ill influences remain to plague the Syrian race. "The Crusades, in reality the first of those imperialistic ventures that
Europe sent out to despoil and appropriate the earth, soon came
to be as much commercial as religious enterprises," says J. H.
Randall in "The Making of the Modern Mind." Because history is alive there are perpetuated many evil influences in Syria's
national life, in Europe's schemes and ambitions, and in the nation's thinking.
Let us remember that religion is the major problem in
Syria's thinking: educationally, politically and socially. There
are the following situations: the relation of Christianity and Mohammedanism, the relation of certain groups to European powers,
the effects of the Syrian Revolution. History's living factors
have fostered religious hatreds, racial animosities, and brought
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
NOV.
about political alignments within and without the nation.
A new vision has come to Syria through the rise of democracy. Religious freedom and tolerance should take the place of
religious intolerance. "United we stand, divided we fall" should
become the watchword of the nation. Nationalism based on welfare for the greatest number will destroy religious, racial and
political hindrances to Syria's progress.
A universal compulsory public school education in Syria
standing for a common citizenship, common ideals, and common
human aspirations will do more for the nation's unity and progress than all other efforts combined. The public school is Syria's
best solution of her national problems, her economic welfare, and
her future progress. The school will free Syria's youth from the
ill effects of the past, create a common love for the nation, and
unite the nation in worthy human welfare.
"The
the e
that 1
jmpe:
1919
cerne
14
VII. The future of Syria's independence depends upon the cooperation within the nationy Europe's world politicsy and
Syria's geographical location.
Syria's political future depends upon three factors: the unity
of the nation, Europe's diplomacy, and Syria's geographical location. The greatest of these is Syria's geographical location. It
is the most important, vital, and critical factor. Without thorough mastery of the geographical factor Syria's political leadership, her foreign policies, and her progress will always be found
wanting.
"Syria is so placed," J. L. Myers quotes M. Maspero in
"The Dawn of History," "that it cannot be independent except
on condition that it has no powerful neighbors." This is the key
to a wholesome Syrian nationalism, successful economic policies,
and agreeable foreign relations.
Is absolute independence of Syria politically possible under
the present world conditions? The question of Syria's independence is provocative of profound political thinking. Facing us
are four factors in Europe's world politics. "First, "When Turkey
joined the Central Empires," says Gibbons in "Introduction to
World Politics," "the Entente powers were free to use the weapon
of self-determination as a war measure to destroy the integrity
of the Ottoman Empire." Second, "If Turkey had to go by the
board there would be no emancipation of subject races, but a division of the Ottoman Empire into spheres of influences." Third,
worL
ing r
greal
and
pend
best
�NOVEMBER, 1928
;
1$
"The secret treaty of London marked the abandonment, before
the end of the first year of the war, of the generous idealism
that had seemed to make the conflict of principles rather than of
imperialistic aims." Fourth, "The treaties signed at Paris in
1919 and 1920 so far as most of their territorial clauses are concerned, simply fulfilled bargains made during the war."
Syria is confronted with possible military invasion, Europe's
world politics, and the most important period of Syria's developing nationalism. Syria's present need is a condition assuring the
greatest probability of national security, peaceful independence,
and material prosperity. Therefore, will Syria's absolute independence, or her association with some world power, secure the
best conditions for the nation's present and future progress?
Moderation
Translated from the Arabic by J. D. Carlyle
How oft does passion's grasp destroy
The pleasure that it strives to gain?
How soon the thoughtless course of joy
Is doom'd to terminate in pain?
When prudence would thy steps delay,
She but restrains to make thee blest;
Whate'er from joy she lops away,
But heightens and secures the rest.
Wouldst thou a trembling flame expand,
That hastens in the lamp to die?
With careful touch, with sparing hand,
The feeding stream of life supply.
But if thy flask profusely sheds
A rushing torrent o'er the blaze,
Swift round the sinking flame it spreads,
And kills the fire it fain would raise.
I
�___________
16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Tobet and Leila
By
DR. SALIM
Y.
*
1
I
1
(i
ALKAZIN
A RABIA, thy parched sands, had they
Not been accursed and doomed to give no life
Or issue yield, the blood that flowed in streams—
Enriching not thy veins—would spring again,
Not in the shape of grass to feed or reed
To sing, but in the shape of crimson tongues
That would denounce the deeds of men when they,
For love of self, call right what suits their ends.
Or had thy lonely hills the pow'r to speak,
What sweet, heart-soothing tales our ears would hear,
Of simple love—the God-created love—
That stirred the hearts of hardy desert sons,
And dainty maids—wild flow'rs from nature's heart,
So fresh, unsoiled by human cultured touch,
Or thought—sweet tales that ended happily!
And what heart-rending tales of love that flared
And blazed like thy fearful sun, and, like
It still with its consuming heat that stirs
No life but kills what life there is, hath choked
The struggling hope. Of such a fate I speak:—
*
NOVL
*
Once upon a time (as Arabs would
A tale begin), a struggling caravan
Its weary way was picking thru the sand,
Which heaved, and, shifting, piled in heaps then rolled
With deadly sweep to pile anew and roll,
Like to a peaceful sea when angry winds
Would lash her back, her thousand heads would raise
In rage, and stretch ten thousand arms and charge.
Behind, no trace was left—so wipes the hand
Of fate fond hopes! In front, all former trace
Of man and beast was gone; yet on, and on
The weary caravan pursued its wayLed by the setting sun.
I
n
�NOVEMBER, 1928
"Howay! Howay!"
The leader cried, and stopped. And every man
Around him pressed, to find him gazing at
A form—a man—half buried in the sand.
"Not dead, he lives!" And eager, anxious men
For water rushed. The swollen lips were seen
To move, the eyes were opened wide, wherein
The flame,—the dying flame of life, was seen
To waver 'neath the chilling breath of death.
A sigh, a mournful groan escaped his lips,
Then words—the soul was starting on its flight
From that mean cage in words: "If Leila will
Salute, my bones, tho' hid beneath a pile
Of stones, the greeting will return, or from
My tomb a voice will surely cry Salaam!"
He spoke and died.
"Know ye the mkn?" one asked.
"Who knows him not? Lives there the man who hath
Not heard of Leila's Troubadour? AlasWho after thee shall sing of love and give
His passion form and clothe it now in bright,
Alluring silks, and then in gruesome shrouds;
Or march it like a bride with joyful, hopeful song,
Or lead it to its grave with moan and wail?
There lies a bard, a lover true? Alas
For song! Alas for unrequited love!
Enough, and let the man that knew no rest
To rest be wedded now, and may Allah
Be gracious to his soul."
On sea and sand
Alike, the dead find grace where'er they hap
To die. A hole was dug, and rocks were piled
To mark the lonely grave.
Long years rolled by.
One day a dame on camel-back was led
By horseman bold. Hard by the pile they passed.
There sleeps a liar false," the husband sneered,
" 'Tis he who sang mv gracious wife to fame."
"And why a liar he?" "Salute that grave
And prove that he who said: 'If Leila will
Salute, my bones, tho hid beneath a pile
17
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Of stones, the greeting will return, or from
My tomb a voice will surely cry Salaam!'
Spake true! Now, by Allah, thou shalt salute."
Then Leila: "Peace, may peace with thee abide!"
Antf lo! a rustling noise, and from a hole
An owl appeared and, screaming, flopped its wings
And soared. The frightened camel reared and threw
Its load.
Thus Leila met her end, and thus
The two, whom life had sternly held apart,
One grave in peace received with open arms.
Freedom
By BENJAMIN T. HOFFIZ
(Inspired by Ameen Rihani's poem published in the October issue.)
Q FREEDOM, what a pow'r divine,
Thou Lord and Master of our lives 5
Before thy grand and holy Shrine
I pledge my spirit, soul and heart.
Thy cause immortal is my joy,
Thy glorious end is my desire.
May thy eternal power destroy,
The pow'rs infernal and their thrones.
For thy beloved cause and right
I fight the battle, till at last,
The shouts of victory with delight
Shall ring throughout the universe.
Awake her children strong and brave
And hoist her banner 'neath the stars!
Fear not the battle, nor the grave
And crown the queen of freedom high.
O torch divine, our souls inflame
And fill our lives with pow'r and grace,
O set the hearts of men aflame
That all may worship at thy Shrine.
�19
NOVEMBER, 1928
Books and Authors
A NEW LIFE OF CHRIST BY A SYRIAN AUTHOR
Jesus, the Son of Man, by Kahlil Gibran, New York.
A. Knopf, 216 pp.
Alfred
$3.50.
TO call the new book of Kahlil Gibran a life of Christ would be
a misapplication of the term. The book is not a chronological
narration of the life of the founder of Christianity. No attempt
is made by the author to analyze disputed facts or clear obscure
circumstances surrounding the life or the actions of Christ. In
fact, the book does not concern itself with the life of Christ as such
in the academic sense. And still it is a life of Christ as interpreted
by His words and deeds on the tongues of many characters. In
this respect it is unlike any other book that has so far appeared on
the personality of Jesus, notwithstanding the multiplicity of such
works in recent years. What may be said of Gibran's book is that
it follows a novel scheme which is unique in its treatment. It is
an attempt to portray the character of Jesus in His role of spiritual
teacher as seen through many eyes from various angles and by the
light of different philosophical tenets and under various spiritual
reactions. For this purpose the author calls on seventy-seven characters, friends and foes alike, men and women of all nationalities
who were contemporaries of Christ and had occasion to see Him
or hear of Him. The final character is the author himself who
sings the virtues of Jesus in a masterly poem, rather a prayer, well
befitting the mood of a spirit which would interpret the words and
the deeds of the Great Master.
"Jesus the Son of Man" is the culmination of the work ot
Gibran in what appears to be his preconceived scheme originating
with The Madman (1918), continuing in The Forerunner (1920)
and leading to his great work The Prophet (1923) With every
succeeding work Gibran made progressive amplification ot his
theme. And as he proceeded an ever increasing number of admirers followed with tense interest his steady development until it
could be safely said that with the publication of The Prophet he
was well intrenched in the high esteem of thousands of readers
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
not only in America but throughout the world. The Prophet enjoys the distinction of having been translated into more than
twenty languages. His latest book may well be destined to enjoy
just as much if not more popularity.
No review, no matter how lengthy, could give an adequate
evaluation of this latest monumental work of our great Syrian
author. Each chapter may be termed a book in itself, so charged
are the words with weighty meaning and inspirational import.
For not alone has he attempted to give the impressions of the different characters on Jesus, but he has also gone to the extent of
paraphrasing the words of the Master Himself. In the chapter
on "The Sermon on the Mount" there are many deviations from
the accepted dogmatic text as adopted by the Christian churches
both in the Sermon and in the Lord's Prayer. In this as well as
in many other instances Gibran interprets the words of Jesus in
terms of his own. This may not meet with the sanction of the
custodians of the Christian faith, but, although failing to abide
by the strict dictates of dogma and even avoiding any reference
to the divinity of Jesus, Gibran's interpretation cannot be said to
detract from the spiritual apppreciation of Jesus' character.
Rather, in his own conception, it tends to enhance it in the light of
modern spiritual development.
The literary quality of this latest book of Gibran is in the
author's well known masterly style. It is his rare gift to be able
to clothe his meaning in words that have the rhythmic sound of
music. It is unnecessary to single out any particular passage for
illustration, because the whole book bears the stamp of the master's consummate technique.
The book contains thirteen illustrations in the famous Gibran style, two of which are in color.
The publisher's claim that "for the first time in twenty centuries a countryman of Jesus of Nazareth writes of His words and
His deeds" holds true only if we take into consideration the patently novel nature of the work. In other respects the claim
could not be substantiated nor do we believe it is so meant. For the
Disciples were of His Countrymen as were the Fathers of the
church, who not only wrote and spoke of His words and deeds, but
carried His message to the ends of the earth. Their role, it may
be explained, plausibly enough, was that of commentators and
apostles. They accepted the divinity of Christ and believed implicitly in the revelation of His words. His person was so sacred
�21
NOVEMBER, 1928
I
that they would consider only the divine in Him and almost overlooked the human side. This is the direct opposite of Gibran's
conception of Jesus in his latest work wherein the Master is
treated wholly from the side of His divinely human qualities,
hence the qualification, JESUS, The Son of Man.
Indicative of the spiritual stimulus in which the work was
conceived, and revealing the author's true appreciation of the
character of Jesus, is the closing chapter which is here reproduced
in full.
A MAN FROM LEBBANON NINETEEN CENTURIES
AFTERWARD
By
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Decorations by the Author.
Master, Master Singer,
Master of words unspoken,
Seven times was I born, and seven times have I died
Since your hasty visit and our brief welcome.
And behold I live again,
Remembering a day and a night among the hills,
When your tide lifted us up.
Thereafter many lands and many seas did I cross,
And wherever I was led by saddle or sail
Your name was prayer or argument.
Men would bless you or curse you;
The curse, a protest against failure,
The blessing, a hymn of the hunter
Who comes back from the hills
With provision for his mate.
�22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Your friends are yet with us for comfort and support,
And your enemies also, for strength and assurance.
Your mother is with us 5
I have beheld the sheen of her face in the countenance of all
mothers j
Her hand rocks cradles with gentleness,
Her hand folds shrouds with tenderness.
And Mary Magdalen is yet in our midst,
She who drank the vinegar of life, and then its wine.
And Judas, the man of pain and small ambitions,
He too walks the earth j
Even now he preys upon himself when his hunger finds naught
else,
And seeks his larger self in self-destruction.
And John, he whose youth loved beauty, is here,
And he sings though unheeded.
And Simon Peter, the impetuous, who denied you that he might
live longer for you,
He too sits by our fire.
He may deny you again ere the dawn of another day,
Yet he would be crucified for your purpose, and deem himself
unworthy of the honor.
And Caiphas and Armas still live their day,
And judge the guilty and the innocent.
They sleep upon their feathered bed
Whilst he whom they have judged is whipped with the rods.
And the woman who was taken in adultery,
She too walks the streets of our cities,
And hungers for bread not yet baked,
And she is alone in an empty_ house.
And Pontius Pilatus is here also:
He stands in awe before you,
And still questions you,
But he dares not risk his station or defy an alien raceAnd he is still washing his hands.
NOV.
Even
Andl
Mast
Mast
They
And
A sig
Buti
Youi
And
Thei
And
Age
And
The
The
Wit!
Nay
The
The
And
The
Anc
Ma
The
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Yet
Th(
Th<
An<
�NOVEMBER, 1928
23
Even now Jerusalem holds the basin and Rome the ewer,
And betwixt'the two a thousand thousand hands would be washed
to whiteness.
Master, Master Poet,
Master of words sung and spoken,
They have builded temples to house your name,
And upon every height they have raised your cross,
A sign and a symbol to guide their wayward feet,
But not unto your joy.
Your joy is a hill beyond their vision,
And it does not comfort them.
They would honor the man unknown to them.
And what consolation is there in a man like themselves, a man
whose kindliness is like their own kindliness,
A god whose love is like their own love,
And whose mercy is in their own mercy?
They honor not the man, the living man,
The first man who opened His eyes and gazed at the sun
With eyelids unquivering.
Nay, they do not know Him, and they would not be like Him.
They would be unknown, walking in the procession of the
unknown.
They would bear sorrow, their sorrow,
And they would not find comfort in your joy.
Their aching heart seeks not consolation in your words and the
song thereof.
And their pain, silent and unshapen,
Makes them creatures lonely and unvisited.
Though hemmed about by kin and kind,
They live in fear, uncomraded;
Yet they would not be alone.
They would bend eastward when the west wind blows.
i
They call you king,
And they would be in your court.
�24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
They pronounce you the Messiah,
And they would themselves be anointed with the holy oil.
Yea, they would live upon your life.
Master, Master Singer,
Your tears were like the showers of May,
And your laughter like the waves of the white sea.
When you spoke your words were the far-off whisper of their
lips when those lips should be kindled with fire;
lou laughed for the marrow in their bones that was not yet
ready for laughter j
And you wept for their eyes that yet were dry.
Your voice fathered their thoughts and their understanding.
Your voice mothered their words and their breath.
Seven times was I born and seven times have I died,
And now I live again, and I behold you, .
The fighter among fighters,
The poet of poets,
King above all kings;,
A man half-naked with your road-fellows.
Every day the bishop bends down his head
When he pronounces your name. •
And every day the beggars say:
"For Jesus' sake
Give us a penny to buy bread."
We call upon each other,
But in truth we call upon you,
Like the flood tide in the spring of our want and desire,
And when our autumn comes, like the ebb tide,
High or low, your name is upon our lips,
The Master of infinite compassion.
Master, Master of our lonely hours,
Here and there, betwixt the cradle and the coffin, I meet your
silent brothers,
The free men, unshackled,
�I
JESUS THE SON OF MAN
Frontispiece of Kahlil Gibran's New Book of the Same Title.
��NOVEMBER, 1928
25
Sons of your mother earth and space.
They are like the birds of the sky,
And like the lilies of the field.
They live your life and think your thoughts,
And they echo your song.
But they are empty-handed,
And they are not crucified with the great crucifixion.
And therein is their pain.
The world crucifies them every day,
But only in little ways.
The sky is not shaken,
They are crucified and there is none to witness their agony.
And the earth travails not with her dead.
They turn their face to right and left
And find not one to promise them a station in his kingdom.
Yet they would be crucified again and yet again,
That your God may be their God,
And your Father their Father.
Master, Master Lover,
The Princess awaits your coming in her fragrant chamber,
And the married unmarried woman in her cage;
The heart of the world quivers with the throbbing of your heart,
And the nun in her cloister who has no husband j
The childless woman too at her window,
Where frost designs the forest on the pane,
She finds you in that symmetry,
And she would mother you, and be comforted.
Master, Master Poet,
Master of our silent desires,
The heart of the world quivers with the throbbing of your heart,
But it burns not with your song.
The world sits listening to your voice in tranquil delight,
But it rises not from its seat
To scale the ridges of your hills.
�1
26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Man would dream your dream but he would not wake to your
dawn,
Which is his greater dream.
He would see with your vision,
But he would not drag his heavy feet to your throne.
Yet many have been enthroned in your name
And mitred with your power,
And have turned your golden visit
Into crowns for their head and sceptres for their hand.
Master, Master of Light,
'
Whose eye dwells in the seeking fingers of the blind,
You are still despised and mocked,
A man too weak and infirm to be God,
A God too much man to call forth adoration.
Their mass and their hymn,
Their sacrament and their rosary, are for their imprisoned self.
You are their yet distant self, their far-off cry, and their passion.
But Master, Sky-heart, Knight of our fairer dream,
You do still tread this day;
Nor bows nor spears shall stay your steps.
You walk through all our arrows.
You smile down upon us,
And though you are the youngest of us all
You father us all.
Poet, Singer, Great Heart,
May our God bless your name,
And the womb that held you, and the breasts that gave you milk.
And may God forgive us all.
�NOVEMBER, 1928
27
The Sage of Washington Street
ON THE MARRIAGE PROBLEM AMONG SYRIANS
By A.
HAKIM
]W[Y first impression of my friend the sage on my last visit to him
was that the greatest experiment in life seemed to hold for
him no terrors. Not that he appeared to fail in appreciating its
great significance and import, for he is already married and boasts
a large brood. But to him, whom I know to be a steadfast exponent of optimism in life, the woes of a bad situation could be
lessened by one's predisposition to cheerfulness, just as they could
be magnified to a harmful degree if allowed to have their sway
unchecked. By the same process of reasoning, according to his
philosophy, a little beam of joy could be made into a radiant sun
with the same cheerful disposition and a little straining of the
imagination.
On this last visit the conversation revolved on the subject of
matrimony in general and the marriage problem among the Syrians in particular. The occasion was propitious and the subject
suggested itself spontaneously. The sage, on this occasion, appeared in unusually buoyant spirits. I had stood at the door for
some time observing his actions before he became aware of my
presence, and the expressions of his face, even his every movement, suggested cheerfulness bordering on hilarity. At times
he would hum a gleeful tune, and then would veer to whistling.
There was spring in his step and even the snapping of the cord
with which he was tying the numerous small packages pyramidically piled on the counter in front of him was in rhythm with
his vocal music. Perhaps he fancied himself a conductor wielding
his baton to an imaginary orchestra represented by the pile of
packages.
He was a little abashed when he became conscious of my
presence but soon regained his composure. He hastened to assure me that he was practically done with his work and that my
visit should by no means be construed as an intrusion. "You see,"
he explained, "this is intended for local delivery and needs no
further attention. And, what is more, it is intended for imme-
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
diate consumption. The event will take place in but a few days."
I showed by my attitude of curiosity that I would welcome
any further explanation which he may volunteer, and he was not
slow to understand.
"You must be curious to know," he said, "the reason for my
extraordinary jubilation while I am engaged in the drudgery of
my everyday task. Let me explain to you, in the first place, that
this has not been an ordinary task. It has been a special and very
pleasant task which gives joy to the heart and strength to the arm.
It is concerned with some approaching wedding festivities, and
these packages contain the mulabbas, codami, salted nuts and seeds,
etc., which are requisites to the auspicious celebration of the happy
event. As for myself, I take joy in preparing the means of other
people's enjoyment as much, or even more, as if I were participating in them myself. And especially is this particular occasion cause for deep satisfaction. It is a perfect love match between
a well mated couple—both parties being of the same standard of
breeding and culture and well adapted to face together the problems of life in perfect understanding and cooperation. Unlike
many other matches between Syrian couples, this was not brought
about by mere parental arrangement. The daughter was not
treated like so much chattel totally subservient to the will of her
father and mother. Old customs in the case of this couple were
completely ignored and the modern method of personal choice,
with the sanction and approval of the parents, was accepted and
acted upon. I dare venture the prediction that this will be an
ideal marriage because the couple involved are acting in full realization of the step they are taking."
Not with any intention to contradict him, but merely to draw
from him a further elucidation of the point he referred to as marriage of personal choice and not of parental arrangement, I asked
him if he were alluding to any particular cases which stood out
in bold contrast with this apparently perfect match. I well realized that in our period of transition brought about by our sudden
transplantion from one soil to another, there had been curious instances of marriage by arrangement. But realizing the wealth
of information our sage had stored through many years of observation and experience, I was anxious to hear from him his own
account of his reactions on this acute Syrian problem. I felt sure
that his analysis would be both original and interesting.
"We must realize," he began by way of introduction," that
�NOVEMBER, 1928
29
all our traditions lean heavily to the side of restricting women in
their personal liberties. Women throughout the East, especially
in countries influenced by Moslem teachings and customs, are rigorously secluded in their homes, forbidden to meet strangers of
the other sex, and when compelled to appear in public are required
to be heavily veiled. It is only in these latter years that a movement has been inaugurated for the emancipation of women in the
East, but when this is brought about we may rest assured that it
will not be with the sanction of the older generation of conservatives, but rather in spite of them. We can imagine the bitter
struggle that is bound to ensue between the two opposing factions
before the old system dies out and the new one establishes itself.
Already women appearing unveiled in some cities of Syria are
being insulted by some zealots who even throw acid on them to
disfigure them. In some instances, although very rare, men relatives resort to extreme measures to vent their resentment on their
women folks whom they accuse of acts of impropriety not in accord with their own conception of the ethics of conduct. And these
acts would not come from husbands, but even from fathers and
brothers. Such are the stringent moral rules laid down by men
on women in the East.
"Now these customs had their inception in special conditions
surrounding the life of nomadic tribes thousands of years back.
Why they persist is because living conditions in the East have
been extremely slow in changing. Perhaps this same reason will
cause the prevalence of such customs in those sections where the
influence of modern civilization is slow in penetrating for a long
time to come.
"This is by way of explanation of the origin and the cause
of persistence of such customs in the East. But why such customs
should prevail amongst us in America may be a source of wonderment to some of us. This is easy of explanation. You cannot
effect a transition from one extreme to another without the painful
travail of readjustment. The old generation still believes in the
conventional modesty of women and resent any manifestation to
the contrary. In their advocacy of modesty few there are who
would disagree with them. But many are they who disagree with
this class in their definition of the term. This is altogether relative. Where a man of the East would consider it immodest, even
immoral, for a woman to uncover her face, a man of the West
sees nothing immodest in a woman displaying her legs. And our
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
men of the older generation in America find themselves in the
uncomfortable position of having to discover a middle course
between these two extremes.
"From these deep-rooted traditions springs the custom of
marriage by arrangement. The father sincerely believes that
he is acting in the best interest of his daughter when he promises her in marriage to a man of his own choice. He is still acting on the assumption that a woman's lot in life is to look after
the well-being of her lord and master and enjoy whatever comforts he is able to provide. To him any idea of independence on
the part of the girl is rebellion. She would have her promptings
to independent action, he reasons, only by such motives as would
spring from perversion and lead to dishonor. And this is in
diametric opposition to all Eastern conception of modesty.
"I have been witness to so many pathetic marriages of
arrangement among our people that I rejoice over seeing the
consummation of a perfect love match where every requisite of
training, breeding and general outlook on life points to ultimate
compatibility. Not that I place all our marriages in this class,
but it must be certainly admitted that sufficient of this type still
takes place that it may be rightly called a racial problem."
I began to form a clearer idea of the object of the sage in
going into such details in laying the ground work for his argument. He must, I thought, be having in mind the fact that New
York had become the notorious matrimonial ntert of a certain
class of our countrymen in quest of brides. I would not, however,
prompt him to the discussion of any specific idea, but confined
myself to a request for more detailed information.
"The prevalent custom in our mother country," he ventured
to explain, "had been, up to,the time of my departure, the timehonored tradition of agreement between the parents on the marriage of their children. They were rare instances, indeed, where
especially a girl thought of marrying against the wishes of her
parents. The father's choice of a mate must be deemed the
best and only choice. The girl, in defying parental authority,
ran the risk of becoming a social outcast. And we should bear
in mind that in the quasi-patriarchal life the Syrians still live
in their native country, defiance of paternal authority meant disinheritance and grave distress. This applies more forcefully to
the son, and where opportunities for gaining a livelihood are so
�NOVEMBER, 1928
31
meagre, it can be readily seen how difficult it must be for one to
take the drastic step.
"Now here in America we are not confronted with such an
economic problem. The wealth of our immigrants was gained
through sheer industry and personal initiative. Inheritance is
no longer a factor in our marriage problem.
"But other factors still remain to be reckoned with, principal among which is our consciousness of class which manifests
itself in obnoxious fashion among some of our newly rich. Then
there is the dilemma of inter-racial marriage which is becoming
all the more acute in proportion to the progress of the evolutionary process which we are undergoing in our soil of transplantation. And not least is the economic element which seems in these
latter days to be hopelessly entangled with our marriage problem. All these should be considered from a new angle and in
the light of our gradual adaptation to our new surroundings.
For it is necessary to constantly keep in mind the fact that we are
still in the transitory, evolutionary stage. We remain the first
generation immigrants and neither has our stay been of sufficiently
long duration to bring about a complete acclimatization, nor has
the young generation become numerous and influential enough
to cause the engulfing of the old in the invading tide of the new.
"But this indecisive state is the most dangerous state. It
may spell disaster if the course of our readjustment to our new
surroundings is so shaped as to lead to a safe and beneficial
result. Now in particular is the time when our every energy
should be bent to steer clear of degrading and deteriorating influences and direct the course of our racial evolution in such channels as will be productive of the best results for our own kind and
for the nation of which we have become a part. Marriage, which
is the foundation of happy family life, which in turn is the basis
of the prosperity and progress of the nation, should be our principal concern in our present stage of transition. For upon the
outcome of our efforts along this direction will depend either the
improvement of the status of the race or its deterioration. A
careful analysis should be made of the situation and constructive
recommendations made as to the correction of whatever deficiencies may be found to exist. I have long wished for some able1
leader or patriotically inspired organization to deal with this
problem in the serious manner it deserves. This is a question
that should be to us of the most vital importance, and what I
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
observe almost every day of the serious consequences of our
present aimless course in regard to this serious matter makes
me all the more convinced of the imperativeness of immediate
action."
By this time I fully realized the large scope of vision of
our sage in dealing with this problem. I could not help but
admire his patriotic spirit and his earnest solicitude for the welfare of the race. His buoyant spirit which I first observed now
revealed to me the true cause of his happiness over what he
termed the consummation of a perfect match. It was a case
where he felt that such matches, being unmistakable omens of
happy homes, meant the addition of solid constructive elements
in the body social of the nation. I could further see that although
he was readily susceptible to manifestations of joy over matters
which conformed to his ideals, he was, none the less, deeply conscious of the serious nature of our social problems and earnest
in dealing with them.
Our conversation having run its regular course of time, and
realizing that I could draw from our sage further valuable observations on the marriage problem which he seemed to deem of
such fundamental importance, I asked the privilege of a further
and more detailed discussion on the subject at a later date. This
he promised to do and I in turn promise to report it in due time.
SUBTERFUGE
Al-Yamani relates the following dialogue between the great
caliph Al-Ma'Moun and a bedouin who intercepted him on one
of his journeys in the outskirts of Baghdad, when Al-Ma'Moun
happened to be in a sportive mood:
Bedouin—O Prince, I am a true Arab.
Caliph—This is not surprising.
Bedouin—I wish to make the pilgrimage.
Caliph—The road is wide open.
Bedouin—But I have not the necessary expense.
Caliph—Then you are under no obligation.
Bedouin—I am asking your assistance and not your legal
opinion.
The caliph laughed heartily and rewarded him.
�(
NOVEMBER, 1928
M
33
Economic Recovery in Syria
Based on reports from Vice Consul Paul H. Ailing, Beirut;
Consul Harry L. Troutman, Aleppo; Consul J. H. Kelly, Jr.,
and Clerk D. F. McGonigal, Damascus.
(Note—This survey covers the year 1927 and is taken from Commerce
Reports of September 24, 1928. While present economic conditions in the
country may not be as healthy as those of last year, this summary of
consular reports should be found of value in following up the fluctuations of conditions in the country)
f
"THE year 1927 in Syria was one of general recovery from the
depression of 1926. Foreign trade showed a marked expansion, agricultural returns were fairly satisfactory, and industries
were active. Exchange improved, and larger budget expenditures are anticipated for productive purposes.
Preliminary data for 1927 indicate that the harvests were
generally equal to those of the previous year, though certain
cereals, especially wheat, are reported to have fared less favorably than other crops. The fruit crops were better than in 1926,
and production of cocoons is estimated at 3,200 metric tons as compared with 3,160 metric tons in the previous year. Reports of
agricultural returns from the Damascus district were more favorable than from the other regions, owing to the more stable
conditions in that territory. The planting of mulberry trees,
many of which were cut down during the war, continued at a
satisfactory rate.
Leading industries registered a general improvement over
1926, especially for textiles in Aleppo and Damascus. The tanning industry also reported a more favorable year. Syria is primarily an agricultural country, but the increased demand for the
products of these small establishments is a favorable indication
of the gradual return of the country to more stable conditions,
following the unsettled period of 1925 and 1926.
The credit situation was less stringent than in 1926. Although difficulties were encountered by textile importers in Beirut
in meeting payments, because of the appreciation of the Italian
lira, in general, a gradual expansion of normal credit operations
was noted.
The discount rate in Damascus varied from 6y2 per cent to
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
12 per cent, while in Beirut it ranged between 9 and 10 per cent
throughout the year.
The budget for 1927 showed a balance of receipts and expenditures at 1,508,630 Syrian-Lebanese gold pounds (1 gold
pound equals 20 gold francs); the total for the States under the
mandate amounted to 2,775,790 Syrian gold pounds. For 1928
the budget of Syria is balanced at 2,343,608 Syrian gold pounds,
the total for the mandated territory being 3,881,898 Syrian gold
pounds. The increase over 1927 is accounted for by expenditures
from special funds for productive purposes, especially along agricultural lines.
The Syrian pound (£S), which is based on the French franc
and is the official currency of the country, averaged $0,785 in
1927 as against $0,648 in 1926.
The Turkish gold pound (£T), which circulates principally
in Damascus, was quoted as low as $4.32 (par $4.40).
Considerable road construction work was undertaken during
the year, particularly in the northern parts of the country. This
work was made possible through the release of funds collected
fpin customs duties and set aside to guarantee payment of the
portion of the Ottoman public debt allotted to Syria. Important
construction during the year included a road between Latakia and
Aleppo.
Beginning with the second quarter of 1927, automobile traffic throughout the Damascus district became practically normal,
following the military disturbances in this region.
Shipping statistics for 1927 show a slight increase in tonnage over 1926. There visited Syrian ports in 1927 a total of
820 steam and 2,283 sailing vessels of 1,830,363 aggregate tons
as against 817 steam and 2,343 sailing vessels, of 1,768,744
aggregate tons, in the previous year.
Foreign trade during 1927 showed a marked expansion over
the previous year, but with a slightly larger adverse balance.
Imports amounted to $50,300,000, as compared with $41,055,000
in 1926, an increase of 22.5 per cent; exports totaled $21*4-86,000 against $17,652,000, or 21.7 per cent increase.
The increase in imports is accounted for principolly by larger
purchases of cotton and cotton goods, livestock, industrial oils,
and metal manufactures. Increased shipments of cereals and
olive oil were chiefly responsible for the better showing in exports.
�NOVEMBER, 1928
1
:
35
France displaced Palestine as the leading country of destin?
tion for exports and re-exports, taking 15.8 pepr cent (14.7 in
1926) of the total; the United States was next, with 13.5 per
cent (12.8); Palestine, with 13.3 per cent (16.7); and Egypt,
with 11.5 (15.3).
France was again the chief source of imports, furnishing
15 per cent (19.9 in 1926) of the total; it was followed by England with 13.9 (13.6); Turkey, with 9.6 (9.5); Italy, with 9.4
(11); and the United States, with 6.8 (7.3).
Imports from the United States in 1927 were valued at
$3,431,000, as against $2,987,000 in 1926, an increase of 14.8
per cent. Automobiles and accessories, agricultural apparatus,
textiles, and petroleum products constituted the principal imports.
Exports to the United States had a total value of $2,905,886,
as against $2,261,580 in 1926. As declared through the American consulates, exports to the United States totaled $3,690,000,
against $2,890,000 in 1926. Exports consisted chiefly of wool,
licorice root, sausage casings, and nuts.
THE VALUE OF A REPUTATION
A nomad bedouin once sought the hospitality of Hatem, reputed to be the most generous among Arabs, and for some particular reason Hatem refused to entertain him. The bedouin
had to spend the night in the open hungry and cold.
In the morning the bedouin mounted his camel and rode
away. But Hatem intercepted him and askd where he had spent
the night and how he had fared. And the bedouin replied:
"Last night I was the guest of Hatem who slaughtered a shecamel for me and provided me with the utmost of convenience
and offered me the best of wines."
Then Hatem said: "I am Hatem and you shall return with
me and enjoy all that which you have described. But you must
tell me your reason for having deliberately lied in this manner."
Said the bedouin: "Your fame for generosity has gone far
and wide throughout the land. If I were to recount my true
experience people would not only ridicule me but would perhaps
treat me with violence. It is, therefore, not for your sake but
for my own safety that I would not attempt to discredit your reputation."
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Can We Retain Our Heritage?
A CALL TO FORM A FEDERATION OF SYRIAN
SOCIETIES
By
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL
QURING the past two years there has been increasing evidence
of a healthy awakening of racial consciousness among the
younger generation of Syrians in the United States. From every
section of the country comes news of the formation of new societies of our young people among both sexes. Where once there
had been a suspicion of indifference, even hesitancy and reluctance
to admit ^ one's racial extraction, we have in these societies
proof positive that our young generation is beginning to show
genuine pride in its origin. The truth seems to have dawned
upon our youth that while it is the duty of every loyal American
to hold America first in his or her love and esteem, there is no
travesty on one's Americanism to know and to proclaim one's
extraction. After all, the American nation is a conglomeration
of various racial strains. Almost every element of the human
race is represented in its makeup, and because this was brought
about in such a comparatively short time racial origins are still
markedly defined. Rather, there has appeared insidious attempts
by one so-called element at monopolizing all the credit and all
the honor for contributing all that there is virile and worth-while
in the American nation. And by imputation, even by plain accusation, they ascribe to other racial strains all that is apprehensible
in America. It is a destructive policy which this element, in its
blind selfishness and narrow-minded views, fails to appreciate its
harmful results. But we Syrians, as well as other races who are
not classed among the so-called Nordics, want to prove that we
are a valuable element in the composition of the American nation.
We want to claim our rightful place and to express our resentment at the imputation of inferiority. The ultimate result of
such a policy is bound to react to a better understanding and homogeneity in the American nation. It is much more constructive
Americanism than that advocated by that short-visioned class who
arrogantly claim the country as exclusively their own, and would
�NOVEMBER, 1928
37
seek to substitute hatred and class prejudice for cooperation and
understanding.
The broad purpose underlying the establishment of SyrianAmerican societies is, therefore, to help bring about this understanding. It would help us first understand ourselves where this
understanding has heretofore been woefully lacking. Our young
generation had not in the past what it is now beginning to show
of its appreciation of its splendid background. This was a negative situation which not only did not help to breed self-respect,
but rather tended to destroy it. A correction of this condition
seems imperative, and one of the proper methods of approach
to such a result is the encouragement of cooperative action through
the establishment of organized bodies.
Once this result is achieved substantial progress could be
made toward taking the next logical step which would be to diffuse knowledge of our race, through the coordinated, collective
efforts of these societies, among the general body of the American
nation. Nothing nobler than such a purpose could be conceived
in view of the expected beneficial results. Then it would be
that we will not feel ourselves secluded and misunderstood and
misjudged, nor would Americans remain in that state of ignorance about us as to cause their resultant lack of appreciation of us.
Ignorance fosters fear and mistrust. America, above any
other country in the world, needs the cementing influence of mutual understanding among her heterogenous elements. There
are already some organized bodies, fostered by far-visioned, benevolently disposed Americans, doing splendid constructive work
along this line. This could be strengthened and brought to more
fruitful results and fuller success by cooperative effort on the
part of the different racial groups along the same line. The
Svrians should prove themselves willing to do their part.
A recent case in point may well be cited as an illustration.
During the course of this year the editor of this publication was
asked to attend the annual celebrations of three local Syrian
societies in Connecticut, namely, in Torrington, Waterbury and
New London. In each case the Mayor, members of the City
Council, judges, newspaper representatives and prominent citizens
were invited to attend. And in every case there was an unfailing
response. The subject of discussion was invariably along the
line of the necessity of better understanding between the Americans and the more recently immigrating racial groups. The city
�h
38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
officials and other representative citizens expressed in every instance their gratification at the opportunity for a better understanding of us. They hailed in us a valuable addition to the
American nation. They came to know us in the light of our
splendid historical background and of our recent constructive
achievements in our adopted country. So it may readily be seen
that it is incumbent upon us to make ourselves known in order
that we may be appreciated. This was splendidly illustrated in
the patriotic action of the Syrian and Lebanese societies of
Connecticut.
Such efforts as those mentioned above could be successfully
duplicated in every city of the country. Let our people become
conscious of their racial merits and claim their rightful position
in the body social and politic of America. Once they fulfill this
prime requisite for understanding no lawful credit would be
denied them.
But now a broader duty suggests itself, entailing cooperative action on a national scale. It is a plan that has been successfully followed by other racial groups and brought much power
and prestige to them. It consists of forming a national federation of Syrian-American societies in the country for the purpose
of promoting policies of general interests to the race as a whole.
Local organizations would retain their independent status, simply
adhering to the general policy of the Federation in national affairs as affiliated members. They would become the individiual
units which go in the building of the general organization. Is
not the time now ripe for such an effort?
Judging by present indications, one is inclined to believe
that it is. The numerous communications published so far in the
SYRIAN WORLD prove the existence of such a tendency. What
seems to be lacking is a central agency to act as a clearing house
of information and interchange of ideas on the general plan. In
the absence of any organized body for such a purpose, the
SYRIAN WORLD willingly offers itself as this necessary medium.
To this end we would submit the following propositions:
1. Every Syrian or Lebanese society in the United States,
operating under whatever name but having for its purpose the
promotion of the welfare of the Syrian race in America and willing to join in the proposed Federation, is requested to send in
its name to the office of the SYRIAN WORLD together with what-
�mmmmsm
NOVEMBER, 1928
39
ever data it wishes to furnish on its objects, date of its foundation, number of its members, etc. Organizations of purely local
or restricted nature, such as local church societies and others restricted in their objects to the interests of special towns, naturally
could not be eligible to membership in the Federation.
2. Although there may be an expressed or implied wish to
join the contemplated Federation, the responding societies are
not obligated in any way by their replies. The present move is
not an actual formation of the Federation, but a survey of the
possibilities for a definite move towards that end.
3. From time to time a report on the progress of this preliminary work will be published in the SYRIAN WORLD, as well as
any suggestions or opinions that organizations or individuals may
wish to advance on whatever phase of the proposition.
4. The preliminary work of canvassing the sentiment completed, a convention would be held of the representatives of the
constituent societies to form the national body and to meet at
whatever place and time will be decided upon by tentatively
pledged members.
It is apparent from the above that for the present we are
only making a bid for national unity. We are fully aware of
the difficulties besetting the path of such an undertaking never
before seriously attempted among the Syrians. But we have
faith in the rising generation which we believe is becoming more
and more conscious of the urgency of this duty. It is upon them
that the task falls to carry forth the torch bequeathed to them
in precious legacy by their illustrious forebears. They have a
priceless heritage the maintenance of whose memory will urge
them to more noble efforts if they would but develop an adequate
consciousness and appreciation of its importance.
Those progressive, virile societies which have so far displayed a tendency along this line may be depended upon to help
carry the movement on to a successful culmination. It is the
hope and the prayer of every well-wisher for the future of the
race that our young generation will prove itself appreciative of
the benefits of collective action and rise to the opportunity now
presenting itself to it. Syrian-American clubs and societies exist almost everywhere in America and the patriotic motives
prompting their formation could best be accomplished by a na-
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
tional federation. Details of organization, such as regional councils, conditions of charter and other matters could be discussed
at the general convention.
There is immense benefit in Syrian societies joining together
in a federation such as is now proposed for bringing about the
solidarity of the race, promoting its prestige and working for
its more adequate understanding. There is also added benefit
in the closer contact that would be inevitably established among
the scattered elements of the race. Constructive propositions
brought before the conventions of the federation would have a
much greater chance of being acted upon where now they fail to
materialize for lack of sufficient support.
We would suggest that every Syrian and Lebanese society
to whose attention this proposition is brought make it a subject
for consideration at an early date. It is our hope that in be
coming issue of the SYRIAN WORLD a substantial list of responding societies could be published. It should be realized that cooperating societies will go down in history as having built tho
foundatoin of the future glory of the race.
Arab Proverbs
He who preaches and fails to practice is like a bow minus
a string.
You are known by your speech because every man is hidden
underneath his tongue.
The three unfailing characteristics which elicit love and admiration of a man are his fear of God, his humility and his
generosity.
The sweetness of success effaces the bitterness of struggle.
Many a silence may be much more eloquent than speech.
The worst type of man is he who becomes indifferent to the
opinion of others.
�41
NOVEMBER, 1928
EDITORIAL COMMENT
RECOGNIZING RACIAL
GROUPS
their unstinted loyalty to America whether in volunteering I for
active service or in subscribing
to the Liberty Loans. This same
condition is repeated in political
campaigns when all parties bend
every effort to make the most
capital out of race appeals.
'THE destiny of the American
nation is that of ultimattely
being molded into one homogenous whole. That it is still under the necessity of recognizing
racial strains is due to the fact
In some sections of the counthat the rapid increase in the
try certain racial strains are
population ,was brought about
known to predominate and the
by accretion through immigraappeal for political support is
tion rather than by a natural
modified to suit the particular
process of reproduction. The
leanings or traditions of these
ultimate- result will come when
stocks. Secretary Hoover is
sufficient time had elapsed for
known to have rendered valuthe obliteration of all racial vesable aid to the war orphans of
tige in the nation so that nothGermany and this is stressed to
ing of the present condition will
its greatest possible advantage
remain except as a distant memin the Republican bid for the
ory.
so-called German vote. While
In the meantime the existon the other hand Governor
ing situation cannot be ignored.
Smith is one of the outstanding
Racial groups are still so sharpchampions of the application of
ly defined that they are recoghuman interpretation to the ennized by the foremost exponents
forcement of the law, having
of amalgamation. The men in
committed himself to the interwhose hands the destiny of the
pretation of immigration laws
nation is placed are in the vanon this basis, and this is made
guard of those who appeal to
the foundation of an appeal for
the different racial groups on
his support on the part of all
the basis of their ethnological
immigrants.
extraction.
Both Presidential candidates
This condition becomes more
evident in the stress of every receive representatives of racial
national emergency. During groups as such and feel no scruthe war a direct appeal was ples in recognizing them and
made to racial groups to prove making a direct bid for their
�42
support on this basis. Both National Committees have organized bureaus at their headquarters for the prosecution of the
political campaign among the
different racial groups We read
of rallies of citizens of certain
extractions bemg sponsored by
both parties and addressed by
official representatives of each
of the political bodies. Foreign
language newspapers are allotted a share of paid campaign
publicity.
It may also be recalled that
during the war the Federal
Government of the United
States deemed it necessary to institute a bureau for the promotion of war work among foreign-born citizens as a regular
branch of the government. This
bureau was later continued as
the Interracial Council with the
tacit approval of the government.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
tion of true American ideals
through the best available
methods for cooperation. And
as such it should be exploited
to its fullest capacity to the end
of promoting understanding
and insuring the bringing about
of a fusion based on complete
harmony and compatibility.
A SYRIAN UNIVERSITY
IN AMERICA
pOR some time a certain visionary has been publishing a
series of articles in the Arabic
press of New York urging the
founding.of a "Syrian University" in the United States. The
idea in itself is not new. Several Syrians within the last
twenty years have urged the establishment of such an educational institution. But we may
In all this it is plain that there excuse earlier efforts or proposiexists a condition in America tions of this nature because of
which cannot be consistently de- the peculiar psychology of the
nied. It is aggravated, or rath- Syrians at the time. It may be
er made more palpable, in times frankly admitted that in those
of stress and national emergen- days they had not ripened into
cies. If it is not manifestly en- 1 00 per cent Americans. They
couraged it is at least condoned. were still laboring under the
This state of affairs is bound to idea that they owed their uncontinue for an indefinite time. stinted devotion and the best of,
It should, however, not be in- their loyalty to their mother
terpreted as disloyalty to Amer- country and native language.
ica. It should, rather, be inter- They only thought of making
preted as the most natural and their fortune in haste "here"
logical course for the promo- and enjoying it at leisure "over
�NOVEMBER, 1928
43
evitable and accept the fact that
Arabic cannot be perpetuated in
America except as an academic
language. Arabic is, indeed, a
beautiful language full of priceless treasures, but this can be
appreciated
onlytii
by the scholar-ri
ly few. It would be preposterous to expect our young generation in America to accept it as
a medium of general utility,
Commenting on the proposition, Meraat-Ul-Gharb cornpromises by advocating the establishment of a chair for Arabic in one of the principal American universities. Let us explain that such facilities for
learning Arabic exist in most
universities and could be increased if there should develop
sufficient demand to warrant
such action. The fact is that
To now witness the revival whatever demand there exists
of such an impossible proposi- for learning Arabic does not
tion as that of the establishment come from Syrian students but
of an Arabic or Syrian Univer- from Americans striving for a
sity in the United States may be scholastic career.
indulgently looked upon as the
What may be given some
last gasp of a dying hope. The consideration is the establishundertaking, in the first place,
ment of a center, in cooperation
is too ambitious. It takes more
with one of the American unithan a paltry few thousand dolversities, for Arabic culture.
lars to found and endow a uniThere is already several such
versity. Furthermore, the cliunits connected with Columbia,
mate of America is inclement
the latest addition being the
for such a purely foreign establishment. Even if success Casa Italiana.
Even such a project, while
should be met in giving birth to
nowhere
as ambitious as the
such a child of fancy it would
founding of a whole university,
soon die a miserable anaemic.
We may as well admit the in- may be difficult of accomplish-
there."
They gave little
thought to the future of their
children in this country and
lulled themselves into the belief that they could pattern
them after their own designs.
But
conditions have
DUL now
I1UW LUliuiuuiio
"»'v un•—dergone a complete change,
Such designs as heretofore entertained by most Syrians in the
earlier period of their immigration are now dismissed as ridiculous. There were those who
still dreamed of the possibility
of return even up to the close of
the war, but those of this class
who did return were quickly
disillusioned. It took but a brief
stay to convince them that the
atmosphere of America was
more congenial to their temperament.
�44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ment. We need first to develop
sufficient pride in our racial culture and traditions to prompt
us to serious efforts to perpetuate them. To our mind, this
latter scheme seems to be not
only the most plausible but the
most valuable.
What may also be taken into
consideration is that in such an
undertaking support could be
expected not only from Syrians
in America but from individual
Americans interested in Arabic
culture and possibly from the
governments of Arabic-speaking
countries.
HONORING
OUR TALENT
one of our New
York Arabic dailies, suggests
the celebration of Kahlil Gibran's silver jubilee as a writer.
It points out that the influence
of our celebrated author and artist has been such as to prompt
in us a certain feeling of pride
in his achievement. This pride
could not be more fittingly expressed than by a public testimonial.
The SYRIAN WORLD heartily
subscribes1 to the above proposition. Gibran has been one of.
our most potent moral forces.
Honoring him is honoring ourselves and by holding a fitting
public testimonial we would be
expressing our due recognition
^S-SAYEH,
of, and pride in, our racial
talent.
The sponsors of this jubilee
have as yet made no announcement of any definite plan. We
trust, however, that they will
prosecute, the matter actively
and be able to make some form
of a definite announcement in
the very near future.
This same sense of recognition o£our native talent was in
rnind^ when we planned to hold
a reception to our distinguished
author and traveler, Am;een Rihani, upon his return to the
United States. We failed to
make announcement of our intentions owing to the indefinite
time of Rihani's arrival. Now
that we have definite information that he is in England, and
that his arrival is but a matter
of weeks, we may at least make
announcement of the fact tentatively. The form the reception will take and the exact date
and place of holding it will be
determined by circumstances
following his arrival. Most
probably the affair will be in the
form of a banquet.
Pending the formation of
definite plans, however, we
would invite those interested in
joining a movement for honoring Mr. Rihani to communicatte
with the office of the SYRIAN
WORLD so that they may be advised directly of whatever plans
may be> formulated.
�__________*____————,
45
NOVEMBER, 1928
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront tha Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will taka
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opimion as expressed in these editorials.
Bditor.
ALLENBY IN NEW YORK
WHERE are the sons of Jerusalem
and of the hills of Judea and
Galilee? Where are the inhabitants
of Damascus, the Baka' plain, Horns,
and Allepo ? Where are they ? And
what may be the reasons that prevent them from doing honor to the
deliverer of Palestine and the liberator of Syria from the yoke of the
Turks?
Where are the brave sons of Lebanon whose deliverance was due in
part to the rapid advance of the English armies from Egypt?
Why do not the immigrants in the
United States coming from those
countries rise to welcome and hail
this great historic figure who drove
the Turks beyond Allepo and delivered the country of a great scourge?
The great victory of Lord Allenby
may have been neutralized by later
events in Syria. It may be true his
deliverance of Palestine was simply
in the nature of a service to the Jews.
Furthermore, we cannot help but resent the perverted policy which raised the Arabs of Al-Hejaz to the position of rulers which had the effect
of bringing about confusion bordering on anarchy in our country. Nev-
ertheless we believe that it is incumbent upon us to do honor to the visiting Lord. To us he represents true
heroism and of him it may be said
that he has written his great deeds
ineffaceably in the history of liberty. It is not his fault that succeeding events took an unsatisfactory course. We would, therefore,
recommend that proper honor be given Lord Allenby notwithstanding
the objection that Palestinians
may make to the effect that the great
conqueror only transferred the country from one servitude to another.
We earnestly trust that they will
rise above these considerations and
look only at the true heroism in the
man.
—As-Sayeh, N. Y., Oct. 3, 1928.
IN EMULATION OF COLUMBUS
We do not believe in placid contentment and sterility.
We are not satisfied with things
as they were simply because of tradition.
We are rebels against reaction in
favor of progress.
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
We abide by all laws even those
that we believe are not just, but
those falling in the latter category
we shall strive to correct or have
repealed with all lawful means.
We believe in those who believe
in progress and the necessity of sacrifice just as Columbus believed and
had the courage to declare his belief in spite of all persecution.
When we celebrate Columbus Day
we do honor to that great progressive spirit which had the courage to
venture in search of the unknown
and succeeded in discovering a veritable paradise for men. He is a humanitarian saint. The country he
has discovered became populated by
men whose love for liberty is a passion and whose great industry has
placed them in the front rank of the
nations of the world. To them it is
the sterling character of the great
discoverer that counts, and they do
him honor regardless of the fact
that he was of the Catholic faith or
that his reputed parentage was Jewish and his extraction Spanish or
Italian.
Columbus ranks among the greatest of heavenly messengers, and it
is for that reason that we celebrate
his day with joy as we would the
greatest among saints.
Columbus succeeded in achieving
victory over ignorance and superstition. He brought forth conclusive
proof that he who seeks earnestly
and with determination is bound to
find. His case is a palpable illustration of the axiom that no difficulty
can stand in the way of will power
guided by knowledge.
—Al-Hoda, N. Y., Oct. 11, 1928.
FRENCH REINFORCEMENTS
TO SYRIA
We have been aware for some time
of the dispatching of French reinforcements to Syria. The explanation given at the time was |that
France was apprehensive of aggressive designs on the part of the Turks
on the northern borders of the mandated territory. It now transpires
that these reinforcements are designed to check any new move by
the Syrians at rebellion. This we
learned from no less a source than
one of the militaristic French papers.
We may hasten to assure France
that Syrians contemplate no further
armed clashes with disciplined and
well equipped French military
forces. The Syrians are sane enough
to realize that they could not meet
France on an equal footing on the
field of battle. This, however, should
be taken as no proof that they will
desist from claiming their independence. This natural right for freedom is something that neither bayonets nor bullets could kill in the
breast of a live nation.
The Syrians have learned a lesson
in the insurrection of 1925 and 1926.
They appreciate that armed conflict
brings in its wake, aside from the
loss in lives, irreparable economic
waste. For this reason the leaders
of the nationalistic party have decided on the wiser course of amicable
negotiation to gain as much of their
demands as they possibly can for the
time being.
—Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y., Oct. 20.
LEBANON NOT FOR SALE
In Lebanon there is complete separation between church and state.
The constitution of the country does
�,
'
NOVEMBER, 1928
>
47
not recognize any official religion for charge of murder, arson and theft.
We have been among the strongthe government. Whoever is best
fitted may be elected to the highest est exponents of dealing strict jus:
office within the gift of the nation tict in th s case. But when we discover that there is so much readiregardless of 'his religious belief.
We believe there are now in Leb- ness between the interested parties
themselves to effect a reconciliaanon many outstanding personalises
who are fitted to assume the high tion, rather than stand by legal
office of the presidency. Suffice it to rights, we can but hail this pacific
mention such well-known men as spirit and express the hope that it
Habeeb Pasha Saad (Maronite), will be of long duration.
We earnestly trust that Christian
Premier of the present r >vernment;
Sheikh Joseph Al-Kazin (Maronrite), and Druze will live as two brothers
the fearless member of the Repre- under one patriotic flag discarding
sentative Assemb'y; his colleague their old enmity and rancor.
It is our equal hope that the MosEmir
Fouad
Arslan
(Druze);
Sheikh Mouhammed Al-Jiser (Mos- lem and Christian will cooperate as
lem), President of the Representative loyal partners by way of promoting
Assembly, and other national leaders. the welfare of their common country.
A primary requisite to such a
These are but a few men each of
whom is better fitted to assume the blissful condition is that former aghigh office than Emir George Lut- gressors should feel thorough repenfallah whose only claim to fitness tance for their past depredations.
They should eradicate not only from
seems to be his great wealth.
It would be a sorry state of af- their own hearts but also from the
fairs, indeed, if the country is reduc- hearts of their children the effects of
ed to such a condition where it would long standing religious prejudice and
;
have to sell away its highest elec- bitterness. Th- s should be done in
tive office. It does not behoove Leb- the interest of preventing the repeanese traditions to place the Presi- tition of such conditions in the fudency of their country on the mar- ture. The past should not repeat itket, that it may be within the reach self by having these reconciliations in
of a man who is using his great the nature of a temporary and make
wealth to corrupt civil officials and shift expediency.
—The Syrian Eagle, N. Y., Oct. 18.
religious dignitaries by way of
propaganda for his cause.
—Ash-Shaab. N. Y., Oct. 13, 1928.
WHY WE ARE DEMOCRATS
RECONCILIATION
We read in the Syrian Press that
through the efforts of the French
administrative investigator and the
Mayor of the City of Zahle and others interested in the case of the
Rashayya sufferers, a reconciliation
has been brought about between the
Rashayyites and those of the
Druzes who are held for trial on the
In the present political campaign
Al-Hoda wishes to declare itself for
the Democratic party for many reasons, principal among which is its
desire to uphold the Constitution of
the United States which recognizes
no state religion. By this we would
be giving our adherence to the principle of religious tolerance and political and social equality without distinction.
�48
THE SYRIAN WORLD
We furthermore believe that Gov.
Alfred E. Smith is the man of the
hour in American politics, whose ability, as proven by his great record,
should be recognized by raising him
to the highest office within the gift
of the nation.
We entertain great admiration for
Gov. Smith in having displayed the
moral courage of declaring for the
right of personal liberty and advocating the repeal of prohibition
which has given rise to disrespect for
all laws and caused an unprecedented
increase in crime.
Gov. Smith's proposals for a humanitarian application of the immigration law is also one of the outstanding issues for which he deserves
support.
—Al-Hoda, N. Y., Oct. 20, 1928.
RELIGION IN POLITICS
Technically there is no religious
question in the United States such as
exists in Mexico, but actually there
has been injected into American politics what we may call the question
of religious intolerance which is being fanned more and more into flame
by the action of Protestant ministers.
The Republican Party denies that
it is opposing Governor Smith on
religious grounds, but anyone following the trend of plitical events in
ceive that many Republican leaders
the American press can readily perare seeking to make the most capital out of the religious issue.
The whispering campaign that if
Governor Smith is elected we would
have in the United States a clerical
government is not only false but
malicious. Governor Smith has been
governor of the Empire State of New
York for four terms and never has
he shown in his appointments preference for those of his religious
creed or was governed in his actions
by religious considerations. The religious issue was raised by the Republicans because they felt that
they could not defeat Governor
Smith otherwise, and it may be taken for granted that if he is defeated
it will be only on religious grounds.
—Ash-Shaab, N. Y., Oct. 4, 1928.
THE ARMENIAN/ DANGER
The rumor that the Mandatory
Power was considering permitting
the entry of two hundred thousand
new Armenian refugees to Syria
caused the Syrians to protest direct
to Paris and to the eLague of Nations and had the effect of eliciting
a formal denial from the Mandatory
authorities in Damascus that any
such move was contemplated. In the
o;cial statement the authorities asserted that they were only concerned with improving the living conditions of the Armenian refugees already admitted.
We fail to see the reason for such
We fail to see the reason for such
excitement among the Syrians over
the so-called Armenian influl. We do.
however, see symptoms of grave danger in the continental differences
arising among the Syrians themselves. In their present political evolution they seem to have lost sight
of the fundamental conditions which
make for the stabilization of the
country and lead to its permanent
welfare. We would, under the circumstances, urge that the Syrians
direct their attention towards the
elimination of their internal differences which have the effect of retarding the progress of the country.
—Syrian Eagale, N. Y., Oct. 29,1928.
�NOVEMBER, 1928
49
Readers' Forum
Now, should we have a national
prganization of young people? We
should, and why? To understand each
Editor, The Syrian World:
other better, and to understand the
I was exceedingly impressed with
traditions of our ancestry, and to do
the discussion on the question of a
away with some of the traditions
national organization of Syrian sowhich are not worth while in this day
cieties in the October issue.
and age; to be better young men and
It seems to me that some of our
women; to have sound Christian
young people are disposed to deny
character; to be better American citithe fact that they are Syrians, and
zens (for, after all, this is our counwhy? They know of nothing they
try) and to always be proud of our
can be proud of in being Syrian.
ancestral blood. These are just a
Most of them haven't the least idea
few of the reasons why we should
where Syria is located on the map
get together.
of the world. Syria has no flag, no
The next question is, "How are we
national language (I do not believe
going
to get together?" There are
that Arabic could be called the naseveral
ways in which this could be
tional language of the Syrians, as
done.
I
would suggest that the Syrmany other people speak it, and
ian
World
employ a young people's
Syrians are often confused for Araeditor.
Before
anything could be
bians or Turks when saying that
they speak the Arabic language), accomplished, the idea must be creand is not a self-governed country. ated in the minds of the people everyAll of these things are a handicap where. If public opinion is in favor
to Syrians when explaining their of it, and I am sure they will be, the
nationality to any one. However, next step is easier. Why not have
let us forget these things for a while, all the different societies in the
and see what Syria really stands for. United States get in touch with the
Syria is the birthplace of Chris- Young People's editor and give them
tianity. It was in Antioch of Syria or her their views? Or have the
that the people were first called different branches send delegates and
"Christians." Christ, the greatest hold a state meeting and let the
man that humanity has ever known, different state officials get in touch
was born in Syria. Isn't this some- with the editor of the Syrian World.
thing to be proud of ? What is there Through the editor they can decide
in the world that is greater than upon a meeting place, and set a
Christianity? Christianity is the date for the place, and then hold a
basis of civilization and of all that is national convention; set up a constiworth while in this world. If Syria tution, elect officers, and decide upon
stood for nothing else, this is enough. a name for the organization. I would
Every young Syrian should be proud suggest that the national convention
of his or her background, for we be held in a centrally located city,
have claim to the greatest birth in one that can be reached from all
points of the United States with the
the world, even Christ-
IN FAVOR OF A
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
�50
least difficulty. Of course, this is
merely a sug-gestion. There may be
others who have different and better
ideas. Nevertheless, I think the
Syrian World should start a discussion on this subject and get the general public acquainted with the idea.
I think that the different Syrian
newspapers in the country ought to
do their part in this. If we want the
next generation to be a success, we
must help educate the young folks,
as the young people of today are going to be the men and women of
tomorrow.
Young folks, keep this in mind—
we are Americans, it is true, and of
this fact we should be proud, but
all Americans are only an offspring
of one nation or the other, so are
we an offspring of the Syrian nation.
Therefore, we should not only be
proud of what we are now, but we
should take pride in our ancestral
background. Let us do our best, and
help in this great national movement
of unity, for where there is unity
there is success.
This is going to be a great task,
and it will take time and leadership to accomplish it, but as the old
saying is, "Where there's a will,
there's a way."
Let us hear your opinion on this
question. I think that some of our
older folks should take an interest
in this, and give us their opinions. I
am hoping that we will have a lively
discussion, which will bring results in
the near future.
If this unity does not occur at
once, we should not be discouraged,
but we should be patient and optimistic, and if all give their wholehearted support to this cause, we
know that there is nothing but success ahead.
Do you want to be a good Ameri-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
can—be a good Syrian first!
MARY SOLOMAN.
Mishawaka, Indiana.
"
ADMIRER OF SYRIANS
Editor, The Syrian World:
I have learned to admire the Syrian race to whom I have been attracted by their history and traditions. The Syrians whom I personally know I have found to be citizens
of the highest type whose love for
their mother country does in no way
detract from their loyalty to their
adopted country.
In reading your very able editorial in the October issue on "Religion in Politics" I am prompted
to extend you my compliments and
express the hope that such lofty
ideals be given their due consideration for their inevitable reaction to
the benefit of mankind.
DR. CHARLES BORDA.
Atlantic City, N. J.
AN AMERICAN OPINION.
During the two years that I have
been a reader of the Syrian World I
have been deeply interested as well
as instructed upon many points. The
history of ancient empires and ancient races is good reading always,
and truly the Syrian people should
read with pride their splendid magazine, The Syrian World.
In your editorial comment of October "Religion in Politics" is worthy
of note and should appeal to every
American citizen with a mind open
to receive.
The poem "Wine Lyric of AlFarid" is full of inspiration, wisdom
and mysticism. I s'hall have to read
and re-read it in order to reach its
depths.
JOSEPHINE M. CRICK.
Niagara Falls, N. Y.
. I
�NOVEMBER, 1928
51
Political Developments in Syria
Syria is still awaiting the outcome
of the High Commissioner's visit to
Paris. The latest semi-official news
seems to put at rest the rumors that
M. Ponsot will be substituted for a
military man or even a civil official.
The report that former High Commissioner de Jouvenel will succeed
Ponsot proved erroneous, because
the former had staked his return
upon his success in inducing the Foreign Office to consider the appointment of Emir George Lutfallah either as a ruling prince or as a president in Lebanon. Now it has come
to be known that the Foreign Office
refused to entertain any such proposition from the aspiring Prince because of his former activities in
sponsoring the Syrian revolution.
Other seemingly authentic reports
indicate that the return of M. Ponsot was set for the middle of October, he having come to an understanding with the Government on a
definite course of action in Syria,
Although the details of the new plan
have not been divulged, they are
supposed to contain the maximum of
what France is ready to give to the
Syrians.
Meanwhile speculation in Damascus is rife during the recess of the
Constituent Assembly. There are
still the firebrands who refuse to
entertain any solution except on the
basis of complete independence for
Syria, but the responsible leaders
appear to be willing to enter on
some sort of compromise. A public
statement by Ibrahim Bey Hanano,
chairman of the Constitution Committee in the Constituent Assembly,
would indicate that the Nationalist
element has no quarrel with High
Commissioner Ponsot who is said to
have accepted the draft of the Constitution in full and made the reservations to the six objectionable articles
only at the express command of the
Foreign Office. Hanano maintains
that an amicable solution will still
be reached with France.
Another influential Nationalist
leader, Fouzi Bey Gazzi, is reported
to have expressed extreme surprise
at the comment of the French and
English press on the supposedly
strained relations between France
and Syria. He is said to have taken
particular exception to the unfounded claim that the Syrians feel bitterly the attitude of France and
could never be reconciled to her mandate over their country. The country that would enter into a treaty of
alliance and amity with another cannot be accused of being the other's
enemy, he said.
This same leader praised unstintingly the diplomatic conduct of the
High Commissioner and his assistant
M. Maugras, and accused those
spreading reports of the Nationalists'
dissatisfaction with M. Ponsot of being reactionaries aiming to deprive
the country of the advantages of an
understanding with France.
Paris advices are to the effect that
the Chamber of Deputies had passed
by a majority of one the bill reducing this year's appropriations for
Syria ten million francs, and by the
same action defeated the Socialists'
proposal to cut down the appropriations 74 millions. The strong argument that swayed the Deputies
was that France could not afford, at
�52
the present stage, to lay the mandated territory open to another insurrection such as that of the
Druzes, while England has decided
on laying the pipe line for the petrwi
of Mosul within its own mandated
territory in spite of the extra expense this undertaking entails, because it claims that French territory is seething with disturbances
and consequently deemed unsafe.
The break between the Provisional Government and the Nationalist
Party is now complete. The President, Sheikh Tajeddin, who had been
once affiliated with the Nationalist
Party and on the strength of this
relation received his appointment
pending the decision on the final
form of government for the country,
was accused of having deserted the
Nationalist cause during the sessions
of the Constituent Assembly. Later
he was said to have resorted to intimidation to break the resistance of
the Nationalists. The climax of the
struggle was reached early in October when the editor of Nizam, a
newspaper supporting the government, was set upon and beaten. He
accused the Nationalist leader Fakhri Bey Baroody of having sent hired
thugs for the attack, and on the following day the editor personally attacked Baroody and when the latter
attempted to defend himself was restrained by a policeman. This action
was interpreted as resulting from
a conspiracy hatched by Sheikh Tajeddin and the Natinonalists immediately called a mass meeting of protest. When the gendarmerie attempted to disperse the crowd and
met with resistance several men
were arrested. This action infuriated the Nationalists who sent telegraphic protests to High Commissioner Ponsot in Paris and to the
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The
next day the business section of the
city was closed and in press dispatches this was represented as a protest
on the part of the Syrians to the reported decision of the League of Nations to send some two hundred thousand additional Armenians to Syria.
The government of Sheikh Tajeddin
is reported to have been forced to
resign as a result of the ensuing disturbances.
SITUATION IN LEBANON
The situation in Lebanon seems to
have been reduced to that of administrative readjustment. Following
the induction of the new Cabinet the
principal elective post to be filled was
that of the President of the Representative Assembly whose term of
office expired in October. As usual
in such cases, there was a lively
discussion as to which religious denomination should have the post and
the matter was finally settled by reelecting the Moslem
President
Sheikh Mohammed Al-Jesr.
A serious situation arose between
the Lebanese Government and the
Mandatory authorities as to Lebanon's share of the customs' receipts. The Lebanese Government
claimed a sum of £S.600,000 gold
pounds which the French refused to
allow on pretense that the reduction
in the tariff will result in diminished receipts. The 1929 budget for
Lebanon, however, had included
£S.310,000 on the strength of the
High Commissioner's promise that
this amount would be forthcoming to
Lebanon. This amount was finally
agreed upon as Lebanon's share from
the customs' receipts for the coming
year.
,
,
The President of Lebanon, Charles
Dabbas, made a tour of the country
�53
NOVEMBER, 1928
and was enthusiastically received
everywhere, especially in the Bekah
plain. It is suspected that this move
was undertaken in view of the approaching elections which fall next
May and the desire of the President
to sound the sentiment for his candidacy for a second term. Another
plausible reason mentioned in connection with this tour is the desire to
test the loyalty of the territories
annexed to Lebanon which previously had been a part of Syria. This
was said to have been demonstrated
in the most satisfactory manner. As
a result of this tour, it is also claimed, a decisive blow was dealt to whatever aspirations Emir George Lutfallah still entertained to become
President of Lebanon.
The agitation for Lutfallah has
been taken all too seriously by all
classes of the Lebanese. Because
there were reports that this Emir
had made a pact with former High
Commissioner de Jouvenel to promote some sort of financial scheme
for Lebanon, it was said that de Jouvenel was seeking reappointment as.
High Commissioner for Syria primarily to aid the Emir in the pursuit
of his ambitions. This had the effect of arousing the Lebanese to an
unprecedented degree, even the Maronite Patriarch making a public
statement that he would never give
his approval to any such designs. Another Maronite dignitary, Archbishop
Mubarak of Beirut, both in his public speeches and in his statements to
the press, asserted that he had taken the matter up officially with the
French Foreign Office and with the
High Commissariat and was assured
that the candidacy of Emir Lutfallah
could never be seriously considered
by them. It now seems that this
matter has been definitely set at rest
by what is tantamount to an official
repudiation of Lutfallah by the
French authorities.
The perennial question of religious
representation comes up again in
Lebanon in a different form. Now it
is a Moslem paper of Beirut claiming the right of the Presidency for
a Moslem. It explains that while the
Christian element in Lebanon was in
the majority before the annexation
of the new territory, it has now become predominantly Moslem by reason of the annexation. Judging by
the tone of the Lebanese Moslem
papers, the Moslems of Lebanon
would wish nothing better than to
merge the whole of Lebanon into the
body politic of Syria.
STAND OF THE DRUZES
The remnant of the Druze fighting
forces who sought refuge in Transjordan and are now settled in Wadi
Sirhan are reported to be in great
distress, issuing repeated appeals for
funds. Sultan Pasha Atrash, their
leader, has declared in favor of union
with the central government of Damascus, but in this he is said not to
represent the wishes of the majority
of his people. Being chiefly farmers, and having had a succession of
bad seasons and failing crops, they
are said to prefer retaining their
autonomy and paying only nominal
taxes rather than have to pay the
almost prohibitive taxes levied on
the farmers of Syria.
Road building and other improvements continue on a large scale in
the Druze Mountain as well as in
other sections of the mandated territories.
�54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
About Syria and Syrians
RIHANI COMING TO
THE UNITED STATES
Ameen Rihani, author of "Maker
of Modern Arabia," -Which has come
to be considered a textbook of hitherto unavailable information on
King Ibn Saoud and his country, is
now in England on his way to the
United States. The Syrian press announced his departure early last
month at the invitation of The Central Asian Society to address it on
his experiences and observations
while traveling in Arabia.
Mr. Rihani is not a stranger to
America. Besides being an American citizen, he has lived in New York
most of his life. His frequent trips
abroad in later years have been for
the purpose of seeking the quiet atmosphere of his birthplace in Lebanon for rest and study, as well as
for enriching his experience by many
adventurous journeys into the heart
of Arabia and throughout the East.
Prior to his departure for the
United States Mr. Rihani rounded
out his interesting travels by undertaking an extensive tour through
the Druze country and other little
frequented sections in the interior of
Syria.
What makes the experiences of
Mr. Rihani singularly interesting
is that besides enjoying the advantages of a western training as observer and writer, he is a native of
the language and has a wide reputation as patriot and reformer, which
fact opens to him many places inaccessible to others.
We understand that Mr. Rihani
brings with him the full-blooded
Arabian horses with which King Ibn
Saoud presented him from the royal
stable.
COMING DRIVE FOR
THE RED CROSS
The annual drive for the Red Cross
will be launched early in November.
As usual, the Syrians are expected
to be liberal contributors.
A novel arrangement for this,
year's drive is that racial groups are
asked to turn in their contributions
collectively. This may be designed
as a means of healthy competition
among the different communities of
foreign extraction, and as such it
should be hailed with pleasure by
the Syrians because we feel confident
they will make a splendid showing.
Mrs. Alkazin, wife of our popular
dentist and literateur, is chairman
of the Syrian Committee for Greater
New York, while Dr. Philip K. Hjtti
is honorary chairman. The names
of the other members of the committee will be announced later in the
Syrian press.
Solicitors in the field will undoubtedly be many, but inasmuch as it
is the express wish of the Central
Committee to have contributions
come from racial groups, it would be
well for Syrians to favor their own
solicitors with their donations.
We understand that a large volunteer force will be organized to cover
the Syrian field and it is confidently
hoped that our support of the Red
Cross on this occasion will be more
liberal than usual owing to the extraordinary demand which developed
this year.
�55
NOVEMBER, 1928
ACTIVITIES OF NEWLY-FORMED
SYRIAN JUNIOR LEAGUE
The Syrian Junior League makes
its debut in the life of the New York
Syrian community with an interesting program. On Thanksgiving Eve
it will give a dinner-ball at the Hotel
McAlpin, and on January 18 it will
hold a reception in honor of Madame
ilalide Edib, the well known Turkish
feminist, novelist and reformer, now
in the United States, who had the distinction of being the first woman of
any nationality to be officially invited
to address the Institute of Politics
at Williamstown.
The League is composed of a large
group of Syrian young women of
New York "who are interested in a
program of self-development and
usefulness to themselves and to the
community."
We learn that members of the
League will be active in the coming
drive for the Red Cross.
Mrs. Jos. W. Ferris was particularly active in furthering the idea
for this organization among our society buds.
TYPICALLY PHOENICIAN
COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE
Senor George Shahdan, a Syrian
merchant of Argentine, took up aviation as a sport and made several
successful flights, taking for passenger the President of the Aviation
Club.
Being a Wholesale merchant, and
inheriting the pioneering commercial
instinct of his ancestors, the Phoenicians, he soon decided that his
knowledge of aviation should be exploited to its fullest advantages. As
a consequence, he is now acting as
his own traveling salesman and steal-
ing a march on all his competitors by
showing his samples to customers
in the interior long before others
through the use of the airplane.
The National Aviation Club of Argentine has commended the action of
our highly enterprising Syrian merchant as being the first in the country to use the airplane for commercial salesmanship.
AMERICAN COLLEGES IN
THE NEAR EAST
By Berneice Griswold
A special benefit matinee, the first
of the season, has been arranged for
Friday afternoon, November 16,
when Madame Maria Jeritza, supported by Giacomo Lauri-Volpi and
Guiseppe De Luca, will sing Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera
House in New York to aid the work
of the six American colleges in the
Near East.
The colleges have been established
by prominent New York families
during the past century for the purpose of giving young men and women in Balkan, Near and Middle
Eastern countries a modern, scientific education which will help them
to develop school, sanitary and medical systems in their own countries.
More than 3,000 homes in twenty
odd countries are influenced each
year through the students enrolled
in these colleges with the result that
they are well known and highly regarded in even remote districts of
Persia, the Soudan, among desert
tribes and in isolated towns and villages of Turkey and all of the Arabic speaking countries. Leading
families of all faiths number one or
two members at least who have been
educated at one of these colleges and
�I
56
rulers' of many of the Near Eastern
countries are personally interested
in the colleges.
The Shah of Persia Who resided
in Beirut before he ascended the
throne is extremely interested in the
American University of Beirut and
has appealed to President Bayard
Dodge for assistance in establishing
a modern elementary educational
system in his country. Through his
influence a Persian girl has entered
the School of Nursing at the University this year, the first Persian
woman to take up the profession.
King Feisal of Iraq for several years
has "Ibeen sending students to be
trained at the University of Beirut
for government posts. King Fuad
of Egypt, the Queen Dowager Marie
of Roumania, King Boris of Bulgaria, and others rulers are staunch
supporters of these colleges. Mustapha Kemal Pasha, president of the
Turkish Republic, and his Prime
Minister, Ismet Pasha, are both interested in the American colleges in
Turkey, the latter having a brother
in the senior class of Robert College.
The sons and daughters of many Turkish deputies, provincial governors
and diplomats are enrolled in the two
Constantinople colleges—Robert College for men and the Constantinople
Woman's College.
MRS. LINDBERGH TO
TEACH IN BEIRUT
The Constantinpole correspondent
of Al-Ahrar, one of the leading dailies of Beirut, capital of the Lebanon
Republic, informs his paper that Mrs.
Lindbergh, mother of Col. Charles
Lindbergh, will spend next year in
Beirut teaching in the American
School for Girls. This year she is
THE SYRIAN WORLD
teaching in the Women's Constantinople College, also an American institution.
Mrs. Lindbergh is reported to have
professed great admiration for the
culture of Eastern peoples and to
have made public her intention of
visiting the Holy Land next summer with her famous son. They will
make the trip from Constantinople
by airplane as the mother, like her
son, is an air enthusiast. On htr recent trip across she took the steamer
to Naples and from there went by
air route to Constantinople.
We are also pleased to note that
upon leaving the United States she
booked passage through the office of
our Syrian steamship agents, A. K.
Hitti & Co.
DOROTHY DIX BACK
FROM THE DESERT
Miss Dorothy Dix, the foremost
American writer on love and kindred
matters, is back from a trip to Syria
and the desert. She is reported in
the American press as having made
some very valuable discoveries, principal among which is that the
sheikhs of the desert are not what
they are represented to be by fiction
writers and that none of them had
asked her advice on love.
Miss Dix made the journey from
Damascus to Baghdad by motor
through the heart of the Syrian Desert and is said to be the first American woman to have made the supposedly perilous trip. Her escort
is described as a six-feet-six native
in his sandals, which is quite some
size for an Oriental, but he was chivalrous and every night is said to
have made an appearance, fully
armed, at the tent of the American
NO]
write
gestu
Un
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in Sj
ing 1
tion
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�57
NOVEMBER, 1928
writer and her lady companion as a
gesture of reassurance.
Undoubtedly Miss Dix will have a
good deal to tell of her experiences
in Syria and the East. Besides helping to dispel the prevalent conception of the country gained from motion picture presentations, she must
also have many interesting accounts
to relate of the settled sections of
the land, of its flourishing cities as
well as of its wonderful relics of a
glorious past.
EXHIBIT OF WORK
OF ARABIC LINOTYPE
When Prof. A. T. Olmstead, of the
department of History of the University of Illinois, was teaching in
Columbia University in New York
last summer, he became interested
in the study of the Arabic Linotype.
Being an Oriental scholar and having delved deeply into the study of
Assyrian history and civilization,
the work of the Arabic Linotype
which he saw in the plant of the
Syrian-American Press fascinated
him. He therefore secured some linotype slugs together with copies of
the different Arabic newspapers
composed by the Linotype process
and, upon returning to Urbana, made
an exhibit of his collection at the
Oriental Museum of the University
of which he is curator.
In reporting this exhibit, The Daily
Illini, student newspaper of the
University of Illinois, makes special
mention of As-Suyuti's Who's Who
in the Fifteenth Century which was
edited by Prof. Philip K. Hitti of
Princeton and published by the
Syrian-American Press of New
York, noting that it is the first scholarly work in Arabic to be set on the
Linotype. It was made a part of
the exhibit.
The publication of the account having been made in the issue of the
Daily Illini appearing on Dad's Day
had the effect of attracting large
numbers of students and their parents to the exhibit.
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE
AMEEN RIHANI—Internationally known scholar and traveler.
Author of "Maker of Modern Arabia" and of many other works
of poetry and prose.
REV. W. A. MANSUR — Syrian patriot and scholar, educated in
Syria and at present minister of the First Methodist Church in
Loretto, Nebraska. He is one of our regular contributors.
KAHLIL GIBRAN — Author of The Prophet and other celebrated
works and styled by American writers Poet of the Cedars and
The Syrian Poet.
DR. SALIM Y. ALKAZIN — English and Arabic poet and scholar.
Professionally a dentist of Brooklyn. One of our regular
contributors.
A. HAKIM — Pen name of an old Syrian immigrant who is contributing to The Syrian World a special series of critical studies
BENJ. T. HAFFIZ — Preac her and scholar, resident of Washington, D. C.
�TATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION.
TO, REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1912.
01 The Syrian World published monthly at New York, N.Y„Oct. 1st, 1928.
STATE OF NEW YORK.
COUNTY OF NEW YORK,
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he is the publisher of the The
Syrian World, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and
belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown
in Che above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1921, embodied in
section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this
form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing
editor, and business managers are:
Name of—
Post office address—
Publisher, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Gisenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Business Managers, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, or other
unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each
individual member, must be given.)
Salloum A. Mokarzel 104 Greenwich St.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders
owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages,
or other securities are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
en; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is givfull knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under
which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books
of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other
than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe
tfhat any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct
or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated
by him.
5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. Mokarzel.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 2nd day of October. 1928.
[SEAL.]
EDNA M. HUCKER,
(Mycommission expires March 30, 1929.)
•
By si
Ente
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A
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�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
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Identifier
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TSW1928_11reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 03, Issue 05
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1928 November
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 3 Issue 05 of The Syrian World published November 1928. The issue begins with an article Ameen Rihani wrote for The Syrian World titled "The Leper and the Bride of Galilee," a discussion of the cities Nazareth and Tiberias. Rev. W. A. Mansur's "Introduction to the Syrian World" is featured next, and it opens with the Convocation of the Syrian Constituent Assembly, marking the formal entrance of Syria into world politics. There is also a poem by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin titled "Tobet and Leila," followed by another poem inspired by Ameen Rihani's poem "Freedom" from the October issue. Yet another poem titled "A Man from Lebanon Nineteen Centuries Afterward" by Kahlil Gibran is surrounded by illustrations by the author. A. Hakim's "The Sage of Washington Street" is also continued in this issue with a discussion on the marriage problem among Syrians. There is also a report on the 1927 economic recovery in Syria based on reports from various Consuls. The last article is by Salloum A. Mokarzel, titled "Can We Retain Our Heritage?" relates to the assimilation of Syrians into American society. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press, the Reader's Forum, and political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
A. Hakim
Ameen Rihani
Immigration
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Palestine
Poetry-English
Reverend W.A. Mansur
Salim Alkazin
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/2ae4e83dd68900a0046fc6fd6e9df447.pdf
904a5f8e6d9519a3033e5773baa80769
PDF Text
Text
VOL. III.
m
IM
No. 4.
OCTOB
SYRIAN WORLD
MONTHLY MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH
D
WITH SYRIAN AFFAIRS AND ARABIC LITERATURE
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THE BEYROUTH MUSEUM
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\RAKbYRIAN GENTLEMAN AND WARRIOR
OF THE CRUSADES
DR. PHILIP K.. HITTI
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THE WINE LYRIC OF AL-FARID
DR, NETIB A. KATIBAH
I
Jb' WASHINGTON STREET ON DIVIDED
LOYALTY
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RIA FOR THE SYRIANS" AGAIN
DR. M. SHADiD
TNT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
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SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A. MOKARZEL, Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single copies 50c,
Enteted as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. III.
No. 4.
OCTOBER, 1928
CONTENTS
PAGE
The Beyrouth Museum
3
COUNT PHILIP TERRAZI
O Freedom (Poem)
7
AMEEN RIHANI
The Sage of Washington St. (On Divided Loyalty)
A. HAKIM
The Plutocrat
8
:W
KHALIL GIBRAN
An Arab-Syrian Gentleman and Warrior of the Crusades
PHILIP K. HITTI, PH. D.
13
The Wine Lyric of Al-Farid
20
DR. NEJIB
>
l
A.
KATIBAH
�CONTENTS (Continued)
PAGE
Syria for the Syrians Again
DR.
24
M.
SHADID
Arab Proverbs
28
The Bride of the Brave (Complete Short Story)
29
AREPH EL-KHOURY
The Desert (Poem)
37
MITCHELL FERRIS
Palestine Economic Readjustment
38
Editorial Comment
Call to Duty
42
Religion in Politics
43
Ostracism
44
t
Books and Authors
Other Arabian Nights, Reviewed by Nagla M. Laf
Loofy, M. D
45
Evolution Politique de la Syrie sous le Mandat
46
Spirit of the Syrian Press
47
Readers* Forum
ri
I
1
Y
;
.
Political Developments in Syria
55
About Syria and Syrians
57
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. III.
OCTOBER, 1928
No. 4.
The Beyrouth Museum
By
COUNT PHILIP TERRAZI
*
Curator, National Library and Museum of the Lebanese Republic.
V
II.
ALTHOUGH less interesting tr, :he lay visitor, the second
section of the Beyrouth Museum is immensely more important
from the archaeological viewpoint. Here has been gathered pottery from the various sections of Southern Lebanon. A few of
the jars date back to the end of the Chalcolithic Period, when
copper was just beginning to take the place of stone in the making of implements. These are hand made, the wheel not yet
having been invented. They indicate the high craftsmanship
already reached in this distant age.
The majority of the vases in the collection date from the
first or second age of bronze. The aryballus has a bulging body,
a narrow neck, a small flat base, with the handle attached either
to the shoulder or to the neck. The majority are covered with
a redo slip, a surface of finer clay, in lustrous ocher, and some
bear in addition geometric designs in brown or brownish red
on a milk white background. Others have bulging bodies, and
*This is the second article by Count Terrazi on the Beyrouth Museum,
the first having been published in the Marrh, 1927, issue of The Syrian
World Translation from the French original was done by the editor who
wishes' to acknowledge his debt of gratitude to Prof. A. T. Olmstead for his
invaluable assistance in the application of technical terms and other helpful advice. Prof. Olmstead is professor of history and curator of the Oriental Museum at the University of Illinois.—Editor.
�,
4
g=
THE SYRIAN WORLD
a pointed base. The neck broadens slightly upward and the
opening is pinched up to form an eye. At times, the handles
imitate twisted ropes with double or triple strands. The forms
and decorations alike present unmistakable indications that they
have been influenced from the Greek Islands. Some archaeologists have assumed because of this that the earlier race which
inhabited the Phoenician coast before the Phoenicians themselves arrived were either akin to the earliest inhabitants of
Crete and the other Greek islands or were strongly influenced
by their cvilization. However, Egyptian influences played quite
as important a role in these regions, and now and then one finds
objects which were directly imported from Egypt. For instance,
we have a small enamelled blue vase of exactly the same shape
and dimensions as the vase in obsidian, set with gold, which an
Egyptian king of the Twelfth Dynasty had sent to the king of
Byblos, the modern Jebeil, filled with the oil to annoint him
as ruler.
About a hundred vases repose in a neighboring glass case.
They belong to the former collection made by the Jesuits. Some
are wine jars from the Greek island of Rhodes, some are aryballi with necks inverted as those which are found in the island
of Melos, some are tall cantharus vases, or vases in the form of
animals. These belong to the end of the age of bronze and are
similar to ones found in Cyprus.
Close to the door, one comes upon a statue of a praying
man. It comes from Dura on theMiddle Euphrates, that wonderful city which may rightfully be called the Pompeii of Syria.
First it was Greek and then Parthan, but the course of centuries
has permitted the desert to engulf it. Then we see a beautiful
mosaic, representing the dead man with his wife. This piece
of exquisite art was discovered at Eulman, near Sidon, and goes
back to the third century. I must not fail to mention also a
statue of Aphrodite discovered at Oyaa, also near Sidon.
The famous sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, occupies the center of the third room. This is a rectangular stone
coffin, about two meters twenty centimeters long, and raised on
four figures of lions. On one of its long sides, King Ahiram
is represented seated on his throne. Before him is a three-legged
table with some writings. In one hand he holds a lotus, the
sign of jubilation, the other hand is extended in a gesture of
greeting to the notables of his court, who come with gifts and
�OCTOBER,
1928
5
raise their hands to indicate their submission. On the other side
is a train of subjects bringing vases or trays of offerings, while
they drive a, beast before them. A frieze of the lotus, in which
the buds and the flowers alternate, runs the whole upper edge
of the sarcophagus. On the ends, weeping women have uncovered their bodies to the waist and are beating themselves on head
and breast in sign of grief.
The slightly rounded cover bears the figures of two
lions opposed symmetrically. Their projecting heads serve as
the handles. Between the lions is the figure of King Ahiram,
carved in light relief. A Phoenician inscription runs the whole
length of the lid. It dates back to the thirteenth century B.C.,
and is the oldest inscription we possess written in our alphabet.
The characters are, nevertheless, so well formed that we may
be sure Phoenician writing had been in existence for a considerable time before it was carved.
The walls of this room are ornamented with a moulding
of a Hittite inscription which was found at Topada in Cilicia,
as well as with copies of the inscriptions of Abdimelek of Byblos,
the originals of which are now in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Many other bas reliefs and inscriptions decorate this room.
Among them we may mention the following: The king of Byblos
lies prostrate in prayer before his goddess Astarte, which is represented in the form of the Egyptian goddess Isis. A smaller
figure of Astarte on a throne. A pillar with an inscription from
Cyprus. Astarte on a throne resting on lions and bearing a
Greek inscription. A headless statue of Astarte, the Lady of
Byblos, seated on her throne. A cuneiform inscription recording a campaign of the Assyrian king Sargon (723-705 B.C.).
An altar bearing the figure of Venus Lugens. An Assyrian
archer. A Phoenician pedestal representing a priest in a standing position and holding a cylindrical object. A four-winged
being whose style shows a mixture of the Assyrian and the Hittite
art. A Phoenician inscription from the temple of the god Eshmun north of Sidon, recording the restoration of this temple
by King Bodashtart.
Finally, we come to the fourth room, which is full of
objects unearthed in the recent excavations at Byblos. Among
the most remarkable of these I would mention the contents of a
certain case. They comprise two pectorals, elaborately jewelled
breast plates, in Egyptian glaze, one in the form of a shrine, the
�^-,:u^.^
6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
other in that of a shell. Another golden pectoral has the double
vulture. It is of local manufacture, for the vulture holds a stalk
instead of the Egyptian cross of life.
Then there is a silver mirror; gold rings in which are
mounted scarabs of beautiful amethysts; a curved sword in bronze
on which is the uraeus or royal cobra which bears in hieroglyphics
the name of the prince of Byblos to which this sword belonged.
Several collars of silver, like those found in the Caucasus mountains, furnish our first sign of contact with these far distant regions. A vase of obsidian, already mentioned, bore in hieroglphics the name of the Egyptian king Amenemhet III (1849-1801
B.C.). It contained the oil of annointing which the Pharaohs
sent to their subjects in sign of investiture. Although Egypt
has specimens of such vases in obsidian, that in our museum is
far the largest. Nowhere is there anything to compare with the
harmonious form of the small obsidian found with the vase. A
silver knife encrusted with gold is one of the earliest examples
we possess of this technique.
The excavations of M. Dunan in the course of this year
have enriched considerably our collection from Byblos. Two
vases, found under the pavement of the temple, contain some
hundreds of bronzes, representing all kinds of foreign influences.
Along with this there are examples of extremely tall men, with
shaven heads, leaning against two long staffs in the posture of the
Sheikh-el-Beled, of the Cairo Museum. There are likewise
bearded men with conical headgear of a style unmistakably Hittite. In passing, I may mention a quantity of monkey-headed
animals, cats, cattle, deer, which in spite of their small size are
of great artistic interest. Along the walls of this hall we may
see vases of alabaster which bear the names in hieroglyphics of
the Egyptian kings of the fifth and sixth dynasties.
Because of the variety and beauty of the collection in this
room, it must be considered the most interesting in our museum.
The most ancient object in this museum is a cylinder seven or
eight centimeters high. It bears hieroglyphics among which we
may read the name of the Lady of Byblos in the form of the
Egyptian goddesses Isis and Hathor. It goes back to the first
dynasty of Egypt, almost 3400 B.C. This proves that the
Egyptians were already visiting our coast more than five thousand years ago to secure cedar logs from the Lebanon and to
export them from the ancient port of Byblos.
OC
tain
des<
beir
f
�OCTOBER,
1928
7
I pass in silence the other half of our museum, which contains many more objects of interest. Some other time I may
describe it to our readers, for these rooms are still in process of
being rearranged.
0 Freedom
By
AMEEN RIHANI
Q FREEDOM, in thy cause I fought,
For twenty years I fought in vain;
And in my burning bosom naught
But worthless trophies now remain.
Yet in my heart I hear a cry,
And there thy cause doth aye appeal:
I would once more beneath thy sky
Brandish my sharp and shining steel.
How much one stakes upon thy dream,
How dear for thy dear name we pay;
How cheap the passing eras seem
When years are given for thy day!
How many still would fight and die
In thine own cause and for thy weal,I would once more beneath thy sky
Brandish my sharp and shining steel.
The purest love I give away,
The bliss of it I set at naught;
Again I'm on my wayward way
Seeking what I have often sought.
My wounded hopes, my bleeding ties
No peace inglorious e'er shall heal:
I would once more beneath thy skies
Brandish my sharp and shining steel.
0 Freedom, tho thy price be high,
Tho one for thee his life must seal,
1 would once more beneath thy sky
Brandish my sharp and shining steel!
�'
8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Sage of Washington Street
ON DIVIDED LOYALTY
.
By A.
HAKIM
N
my last visit to my friend the sage, I surprised him in the
act of reading one of our daily newspapers and registering his
reactions by vigorous shakings of the head. At times his lips
would part as if to give an utterance of surprise, but no sound was
audible to me even at a distance of a few paces. Following his
summer custom when the day's work is done, he was seated on
the stoop of his little store refreshing himself in the cool breeze
of the early evening in the hospitable shade of a tall skyscraper
on the western side of the street. On this occasion he was seated
with his back to the wall at cross angles from the direction of my
approach, and did not notice me until I was directly upon him.
Upon seeing me almost unexpectedly, he gave a slight start
of surprise, but hastened to remove his reading glasses while
jumping to his feet and courteously asking me to his chair. This
I would not do, and as a gesture of emphasis on our complete
familiarity, I spread my newspaper on the door sill and perched
myself there and would not be induced to move. It was with
some reluctance that he resumed his seat after profuse apologies.
I was anxious to enter quickly into action, and I asked the sage
the reason for his motions of dissatisfaction which I had observed
him make while reading the Arabic newspaper as I approached.
And, as usual, he was ready and unhesitating in his explanation.
"It seems to be beyond the comprehension of some people
that times are moving in our days much more rapidly than in the
days of our fathers or grandfathers. I would say that it is well to
be moderately conservative, to adhere to certain wholesome traditions. But to be slaves to a fallacious notion born of sheer sentimentality and disproved by everyday facts is a reflection on one's
intelligence and common sense. It is about time we explode this
fallacy once for all and courageously admit the fact which we
practice and would want to deny."
I confessed to the sage that his wise pronouncements were
beyond the range of my limited comprehension, and that he could
O
i
'
»
�liiiiiiiiiiiiiii ii—miiiiiMWii—wnniiiwiii imiinmw
OCTOBER,
1928
9
assist me materially in gaining access to the inner sanctum of his
thoughts if he would diverge a little from his generalization and
be more specific. He smiled obligingly and took me mentally in
hand to explore the depths of his reasoning.
"I thought," he said, "y°u would readily guess the reason
for my remarks by what is now engaging the attention of the colony. Just now I was reading the statement of a visitor from
Lebanon wherein he claims that the hope of our brethren at home
for the economic rehabilitation of the country rests on the immigrants. It seems to be the prevalent notion abroad that we immigrants are still considered an integral part of the population
of the old country who owe it allegiance and give it our undivided
loyalty. You know that this is all wrong and that the sooner such
a fallacious notion is eradicated from the minds of our brethren
abroad the better. They seem to place on us dependence to a
harmful degree. They should be brought to the realization of the
fundamental condition of national life which is to be self-dependent and self-supporting. I believe we have helped the old country sufficiently in the past by our continued remittances. This
may have been pardonable, even laudable, for a time, especially
during economic crises and threatened famine. In this we would
be doing a humanitarian deed which we owe to our relatives and
compatriots in the first place. But such a state of affairs cannot
continue forever, nor is it advisable because of its inevitable ill
effects on the nation in that it would make it parasitic and incapable
of self-support.
"And, besides, the continuance of this condition is bound to
result in irretrievable loss to our own people here in America.
We have been sufficiently hurt in the past by this ill-advised policy
to teach us a lasting lesson, and he is a confirmed fool who commits the same mistake twice."
Here the sage readjusted himself in his seat as if in preparation for a vigorous attack on his subject. One could see that a
strong emotion was surging within him as his eyes widened, his
jaws became more firmly set and his hands clutched tightly at his
knees. A whole train of events seemed to be passing in review in
his imagination as he again resumed the trend of his conversation,
proceeding to sketch Syrian immigration from its earliest beginnings.
.
"The most potent factor in retarding the success of Syrian
immigrants in America has been their vacillation. The first
i
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10
t
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Ml
THE SYRIAN WORLD
comers had only one object in view and that was to make a modest
fortune and return to the motherland. This caused them to
lose sight of the larger opportunities available in this country and
restricted their activities to such enterprises as could be easily liquidated. Then followed a period of uncertainty and indecision
when they began to doubt the wisdom of their earlier plans. But
now we can safely say that those Syrians who are here are here to
stay and entertain no further thought of returning.
"This evolutionary process took a long time in developing
and it is not my purpose to dwell on its details in this discourse.
Anyone of the earlier immigrants will give you an account of the
complete change which has taken place in the psychology
of our
bJ
people.
"What is really cause for apprehension is the attitude taken
by our brothers abroad on the present status of us immigrants I
believe they are still judging us by the standard of thirty or forty
years ago. They seem to be still under the impression that we
emigrated solely for a limited purpose from which we have not
yet deviated. To gather a little fortune and return to our native
land appears to them as the only motive for our stay in America.
They would presume that in our new home we still remain strangers, transients or uninterested visitors. They start from the false
assumption that the thought of returning is still uppermost in our
minds} that we prefer our modest native homes to all that America could afford in opporunities; that no inducement could be of
sufficiently strong appeal to swerve us from the path of unshaken
loyalty to our motherland.
"We would not be affected by such reasoning if our brothers
abroad kept their thoughts to themselves and refrained from direct interference with our affairs. Perhaps it would cheer them
to know thot they have in us moral supporters who could be called
upon in times of stress. Certainly I feel it is our moral obligation
to render our mother country every possible assistance, whether
moral or financial, out of gratitude to the divine Providence
which led us to this land of security and abundance. But for
them to resort to aggressive tactics in forcing their opinions on
usj to come to us and claim from us assistance in their varied enterprises as a matter of right on their part and duty on our part
is beyond the pale of my comprehension. And what is more, some
of them would chide us for what they term indifference on our
part to their petty wranglings and political squabbles. They
«t
�'OCTOBER,
1928
11
would have us as stepping stones to their higher ambitions but
would not concede to us a place above that of the stepping stone.
To them we are the money-makers in whose profits they have
a right to share, but under no circomstances are we conceded the
right to question the manner of the disposal of our contributions.
"These remarks may have been prompted by recent cases, but
they fairly apply to our relations with our brothers in the homeland in general. For my part, I have no objection to rendering
assistance whenever needed, but we should not be imposed upon
to an unreasonable extent, nor should those schemers from abroad
be given continued reason to rank us among the gullible and credulous, falling into their designs no matter what their merit.
"And, my friend, I would not confine my allusion to wouldbe political reformers or economic saviours of the land. The
itinerant clergy should be incldued in this class. You must recall
as well as I do how many high ecclesiastical visitors of all denominations we have had the past few years. Well, what has become of the tens of thousands of dollars they have collected? Has
any orphanage or school or hospital been erected? I say positively no! But we know that much productive land has been
acquired in the personal names of these visitors after their return'
from America. Now I ask you, how much more good could be
accomplished for the uplift of our race in America if such vast
sums, going to the pockets of some unscrupulous individuals
abroad, were expended in some sorely needed social and educational work among our racial group in America?
"And what is more, the success of one visitor emboldens
others to emulate his example out of sheer presumption on our
credulity. I am not referring to petty matters of which there are
innumerable instances such as rebuilding the town church, or improving the spring, or other such local enterprises. What I have
in mind is those high-sounding propositions of national rehabilitation and grandiose schemes of universal reform. We are all
witnesses to what has come out of such enterprises in the past—
only the sad disillusionment of the contributors.
"Now my idea is to devote a little more attention to our interests here in America and a little less to things abroad. I would
recommend such a course at least with respect to matters of public endeavors. I believe we here have been too engrossed so far
in our efforts to establish our economic independence to devote
any thought to public matters. Now that we have fairly achieved
�"
12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
this aim, it behooves us to direct some of our attention to public
affairs. Unless we arouse ourselves now to the necessity of such
action I fear we will become hopelessly stagnant. We have an
heritage of a noble history and we should develop some sort of
collective action for the enhancement of our standing as a race.
We owe this not only to ourselves but to posterity in order to
insure for our descendants their due and proper place among the
other racial groups of the American nation.
"This would be better achieved if we would bring ourselves
to the realization of the fait accomfli that we are in America to
stay; that we owe it our allegiance whole and undivided, and that
whatever assistance we render the motherland is prompted by
humanitarian, sentimental considerations only. In this manner
we would thwart the designs of some presumptuous visitors from
abroad who are still guided by the fallacious notion that although
we are away from them we still belong to them. Furthermore
and uppermost is the necessity of coming to a final and unequivocal decision that America is our permanent home, so that in all
matters touching upon our individual conduct and racial standing
we would be governed by this main consideration."
\
The Plutocrat
By KAHLIL GIBRAN
In my wanderings I once saw upon an island a man-headed,
iron-hoofed monster who ate of the earth and drank of the sea
incessantly. And for a long while I watched him. Then I approached him and said, "Have you never enough j is your hunger never satisfied and your thirst never quenched?"
And he answered, saying, "Yes, I am satisfied, nay, I am
weary of eating and drinking; but I am afraid that tomorrow
there will be no more earth to eat and no more sea to drink."
I
�—
OCTOBER,
13
1928
An Arab-Syrian Gentleman and
Warrior of the Crusades
By
PHILIP
K.
HITTI, PH.
D.
II
h
When not engaged in fighting human adversaries, Usamah
had animals and wild beasts to fight. "I have battled against
beasts of prey on occasions so numerous that I cannot count them
all," he tells us about himself. On another occasion he informs
us that he was engaged in the hunt during a period of about
"seventy years". Referring to Usamah, the Fatimite Caliph alHafiz once remarked, "And what other business has this man
but to fight and to hunt?"
This long record as a hunter offered Usamah an excellent
opportunity to study the habits of birds and other animals. His
powers of observation, his keen interest in things animate and inanimate and his sense of curiousity found here an ample field
for exercise and development. At the end of his Memoirs he
devotes a whole chapter to the hunt in which he shows first-hand
familiarity with the hunting practices of Syria, Mesopotamia and
Egypt. He felt equally at home with the water-fowl of the
Nile, the fish of the Euphrates and the wild animals on the banks
of the Orontes. By his own experience he discovered that a
leopard, on account of its swiftness and long leaps, is really more
dangerous than a lion, that a lion tends to go back to a thicket
by the same route it took out of it and that "it becomes the real
lion it is" when wounded. When a Frank in Haifa offered to
sell him a "cheetah", which was in reality a leopard, he could
tell the difference right away from the shape of the head and
the color of the eyes.
At last it was his intrepidity as manifested in a hunting experience that brought him into trouble with his ruling uncle and
aroused the latter's jealousy resulting in Usamah's enforced and
life-long exile from his native place, Shayzar. His departure
in 1137 was the beginning of a series of sojourns that carried
him into the then capitals of the Moslem world: Damascus, Jeru-
�_£SB
14
THE SYRIAN WORLD
salem, Cairo, al-Mawsil, Mecca, and that did not ,end until he
he was an octogenarian. As long as his uncle Sultan had no male
children he tolerated, indeed he encouraged, his versatile and
ever-developing nephew, but when an heir was born the case
became different. This situation was aggravated by the death of
Usamah's father, the brother of Sultan, in 1137. As young Usamah one evening entered the town carrying as trophy the head
of a huge lion which he had bagged, his grandmother met him
and warned him against his uncle, assuring him that such a thing
would alienate him from his uncle, instead of endearing him to
his heart. This episode proved "the last straw" and tolled the
death-knell of Usamah's life in Shayzar.
With all that Usamah shows a remarkable degree of selfrestraint and hardly has an unkind word against his uncle in
all his narrative. And when finally in the year 552—1157, Shayzar was destroyed by the earthquake and his cousin, Sultan's son,
perished with his family, Usamah's heart was evidently deeply
moved with sorrow and sympathy. He wrote a touching elegy
in verse in which he said:
The blood of my uncle's children, like
that of my father's children, is my
blood
Notwithstanding the hostility and hatred
they showed me.
That Usamah was brought up in a wholesome atmosphere
of gallant and aristocratic behavior—in spite of the aforementioned episode—is evinced by various other instances. His grandfather and uncles are often referred to by the Arab chronicles
as "the Kings of Shayzar." One uncle was a high official in the
Fatimite court of Egypt. Usamah's own son, Murhaf, became
later "one of the amirs" of Egypt and a table companion and
comrade-at-arms of the illustrious Saladin. It was evidently
this Murhaf who pleaded the case of his octogenarian and forsaken father before Saladin who consequently summoned Usamah, in the year 1174, from Hisn-Kayfa and installed him in
a palace in Damascus. Salih ibn-Yahya tells us that Usamah
was "one of those treated as great (min al-mu'azzamin) by the
Sultan (Saladin) who put no one above him in matters of counsel
and advice." Saladin appointed him as governor of Beirut, which
he soon after delivered into the hands of the Franks without of-
•l
:;. . ' :.;'.;. -..-
�OCTOBER,
1928
15
fering resistance. A nephew of Usamah, Shams-al-Dawlah, was
sent by Saladin in 1190 as his ambassador extraordinary to the
court of the Almohades (al-Muwahhidun) in Morocco, soliciting the aid of their fleet to intercept the maritime communications of the Franks.
When a woman, who was foisted on Usamah's uncle, Sultan, and divorced by him because she turned out to be dumb and
deaf, fell captive in the hands of the Franks, Sultan did not
hesitate to ransom her, for he could not tolerate the idea of a
woman remaining in the hands of the Franks after uncovering
before him. The Christian hostages released from Shayzar and
waylaid by Moslems from Hamah had to be rescued at all cost.
Amidst the court intrigues of the Fatimites in Egypt (and
no royal court was perhaps more rife with intrigues, feuds and
jealousies than that court), of Nur-al-Din in Damascus and of
Zanki in al-Mawsil, Usamah seems to have kept his hands more
or less unsoiled. Ibn-al-Athir charges him with duplicity in
dealing and with instigating the murder of al-'Adil ibn-al-Sallar,
the vizier of al-Zafirj but in the Memoirs, Usamah's influence
seems on the whole to be on the side of what is right and honorable. When the ferocity of Salah-al-Din Muhammad leads him
to order the bisecting of an innocent man, Usamah is not afraid
to plead the cause of the poor victim. Nor does he hesitate to
intercede in behalf of a captive from Masurra who was ordered
bisected in the holy month of Ramadan. An aged slave, who
had brought him up, Usamah addresses as "mother" and devotes
an apartment in his home for her exclusive use.
Usamah's liberal education consisted of some ten years of
study under private tutors whose curriculum consisted of grammar, calligraphy, poetry and the Koran. Poetry formed an essential part of the mental equipment of an educated Arabian
aristocrat, and to this rule Usamah formed no exception. He is
quoted by al-Dhahabi to have said that he knew by heart "over
20,000 verses of pre-Islamic poetry." It is not likely that so
many verses of pre-Islamic poetry had survived to the time of
Usamah, but the writer simply wanted to convey the impression
that Usamah knew a great many of them.
Nor was Usamah a mere rawi, a memorizer and reproducer
of poems. He was a composer himself. In fact, to many of
his biographers he is known primarily through liis Dtwan (anthologies). Ibn 'Asakir, the historian of Damascus who knew Usa-
�I
16
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
mah personally, calls him "the poet of the age" and describes
his verse as "sweeter than honey and more to be relished than
slumber after a prolonged period of vigilance." Yaqut in his
Mu'jam quotes his poetry. Salih ibn-Yahya boasts of possessing
a copy of Usamah's Diwan in the latter's own hand-writing.
"Especially fond of his poetry" was Saladin who esteemed it so
high as to have kept with him a copy of Usamah's Diwan.
Among the most quoted verses of Usamah are those he
composed and inscribed on the wall of a mosque in Aleppo on
the occasion of his return from a pilgrimage to the holy cities
of Mecca and Medinah, and those he composed on the occasion
of pulling out his tooth and in which he showed some originality:
i
O what a rare companion I had whose company
never brought ennui to me,
Who suffered in my service and struggled with
assiduity!
Whilst we were together I never saw him, but the
moment he made his appearance
Before my eyes, we parted forever.
Usamah "had a white hand in literature and prose as well
as in poetry," to use a phrase of his student, ibn-'Asakir. His
fondness for books is indicated by the life-long "heart-sore" which
the loss of his four thousand volumes en route from Egypt left
in him.
His quiet stay during his old age at Hisn-Kayfa afforded
him an opportunity to compose many of the books he wrote and
of which Derenbourg enumerates eleven. Some of these are
listed in Hajji Khalfah, Kashf al-Zunun. A twelfth book, Lubab
al-Adab (The Pith of Literature), has since been discovered in
manuscript form and reported in al-Muqtataf (Cairo, 1908),
Vol. XXXIII, p. 308 seq.
When finally established under Saladin's aegis in Damascus,
Usamah, as we can easily imagine, soon became the center of attraction and respect for a host of admirers and well-wishers, and
his home became a sort of literary salon for the intelligentsia of
the famous capital. He was appointed lecturer at the Hanafiyyah
academy, and tutored in rhetoric. Saladin restored to him a fief
which he was supposed to have once possessed in Ma'arrah alNu'man. Something, however, we do not know exactly what,
made him fall from grace in the eyes of his patron. Could it
Li
�OCTOBER,
i
1928
17
have been some secret sympathy with the Shi'ah cause of which
the orthodox Saladin was a champion opponent and with which
Usamah may have been inoculated during his sojourn in Fatimite
Egypt? That Usamah had cherished such sympathies may be
inferred from a passage in al-Dhahabi. It was at that time and
under these conditions that Usamah produced his memorable
work Kitab al-I'tibar.
Among all the works of Usamah, this Kitab al-I'tibar, containing his reminiscences, stands undoubtedly supreme. But that
is not all. Ancient Arabic literature has preserved for us other
biographies, memoirs and reminiscences by many great men, but
there is hardly anything superior to this one in its simplicity of
narrative, dignity and wealth of contents and general human interest. It gives us a glimpse into Syrian methods of warfare,
hawking and medication, and ushers us into the intimacies of Moslem court life as well as private home life. But its chief value
consists of the fact that it deals with a point of military and cultural contact between the East and the West during a period
about which our information from other sources is especially
meagre.
Usamah wrote this book, more probably dictated it, when
he was "climbing the hill of the age of ninety". His hand was
then "too feeble to carry a pen, after it had been strong enough
to break a lance in a lion's breast." Ripe with years and mellowed with varied experiences of adversity and success, this patriarch of early Moslem days stands at the vantage point of his
ninetieth lunar year to review before us his past life as one parade
of thrilling adventures and remarkable feats with one procession
following another.
If any book is the man, Kitab al-I'tibar is certainly Usamah.
Shaken by years, amiably rambling in his talk and reminiscences,
our nonagenarian spins one anecdote after another, slipping into
his story bits of his philosophy of life couched in such homely
and poignant, often naive, phrases as to be remembered. More
delectable stories can be had nowhere else in Arabic literature.
The author appears as a consummate story-teller who might
qualify for a competitive prize in a modern school of journalism.
His masterpiece is perhaps the story of the necklace found by a
pilgrim in Mecca. His rare insight into human nature, his keen
power of observation and analysis, his unfailing sense of humor,
coupled with his sincerity, fairness and high standard of veracity
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
make his book one of the great books of the Arabic language.
The author intends his book to be didactic. Hence the title
al-I'tibar, i. e., learning by example. The favorite theme is that
"the duration of the life of man is predetermined, that its end
can neither be retarded nor advanced" by anything man might
or might not do. In season and out of season he preaches his
sermon of which he does not seem to tire. Exposure to perils
and dangers does not affect in the least the allotted term of
life on this earth, and no one should "assume for a moment that
the hour of death is advanced by exposing one's self to danger,
or retarded by over-cautiousness". "Victory in warfare is from
Allah (blessed and exalted is he!) and is not due to organization
and planning."
His passage from the recount of one tale to another is determined by the association of ideas. One happening suggests to
his memory another happening either because of similarity or dissimilarity, comparison or contrast. After seemingly exhausting
a subject and starting on another he may digress and revert to
the former. Logic and scientific classification of data were no
idols to him any more than they were to other writers of his time.
Even the most gullible of readers may find here and there an
anecdote hard to believe, or a detail forced by the desire to tell
a good story. In his stories regarding holy men Usamah did not
rise above the level of the credulity of his generation, nor in his
stories relating to dreams and their interpretation. How could
he? And yet through it all there is no feeling on the part of
the reader of conscious fabrication by the author. The simplicity
of the narrative forbids it. But what is more, there is a decided
feeling that the author is desirous to keep his mind open and
his judgment fair and accurate. Consider his retrospective remark after extolling the virtues and hunting ability of his father:
"I know not whether this was due to the fact that I was viewing
him with the eye of love ... or whether my opinion of him was
based on reality." No sooner does he conclude one anecdote
proving the curious and primitive methods of Frankish medication than he starts another showing its efficiency.
His observations on the Franks, while not as full and deep
as we would like them to be, yet are perhaps as valuable as any
left us by ibn-Jubayr, ibn-al-Athir and other travelers and chroniclers. They are first-hand and frank and reflect the prevalent
Moslem public opinion. To a conservative Moslem as he was,
�OCTOBER,
1928
19
the apparently free sex relations among the Franks must have
seemed loose and shocking. To him "the Franks lack jealousy
in sex affairs" and "are void of all zeal and jealousy." Their
methods of ordeal by water and duel especially come up for censure, for they impressed him as far inferior to the Moslem judicial procedure then in vogue. Their system of medication appeared odd and primitive compared with the more highly developed system of the Arabs. The desire of one of them to show
to a Moslem "God as a child" in a church at Jerusalem was as
shocking as it was amusing. Again and again Usamah draws
distinction between the "acclimatized" Franks in Moslem
lands and the outlandish, rude "recent comers." But through it
all he does not >seem especially obtrusive, bitter, or unfair.
Following the perfunctory verbal usage of his time, he
does not fail to refer to al-Ifranj (the Franks) as "devils" and
"infidels" and to add a curse or an imprecation after the mention
of their name. But in almost the same breath he refers to the
Templars in Jerusalem as "my friends" and does not hesitate to
inform us that "a Frankish reverend knight" used to call him
"my brother." His treatment of the impressions he gained from
his enemies, the Franks, gives us probably the best index to his
judicious character as a writer.
On Monday, the 23rd of Ramadan, of the year 584 (November 16, 1188), the year after the conquest of Jerusalem by
Saladin, Usamah passed away in Damascus at the age of 96 lunar
(93 solar) years and was interred on the second day at the east
side of Mt. Qasiun considered by Moslem tradition "sacred and
most venerated" and associated with the names of Adam, Abel,
Abraham and many other prophets and martyrs. His tomb was
visited a few decades later by the Damascene biographer ibnKhallikan who writes: "I entered his mausoleum, which lies on
the northern bank of the Yazid River, and recited an extract
from the Koran over his grave, imploring Allah's mercy upon
him."
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
XDCT
The Wine Lyric of Al-Farid
By DR. NEJDJ A. KATIBAH
Bu
In the June and July issues of the SYRIAN WORLD of last
year, I gave a translation of Ibn-ul-Farid's Love Lyric, accompanied by two prefatory articles of the life of the author and his
religious tenets, Sufiism or Mohammedan Mysticism.
I would recommend the interested reader to review these
articles before reading the following translation of this noted
mystic's Wine Lyric. He would then have a clearer conception
of our poet's mystic flights and of the influences that contributed to stir his inspiration.
Ibn-ul-Farid's commentators all agree that what is signified
by wine in this lyric is Divine Knowledge.
N. A. K.
DELOVED, to thy name we drank a wine
That swayed our reason ere the vine was born.
The universe in thee, O drink divine,
We taste in essence, of its substance shorn,
To buoy our spirits up, our lives t' adorn:
Our wine's a sun, resplendent without guise,
That brims the moon, to golden fullness grown,
And bids the crescent, ere it opes its eyes,
To blend the chalice till the nascent starlets rise.
Ambrosial fragrance from this vintage flows:
—How else could I that fount of cheer detect?
Innate effulgence from this essence glows:
—How else the mind could fathom its effect,
Or picture to itself the beverage of th' elect?
The press of time has left of it a soul,
Mere breath of all its attributes select,
Transcending reason, though 'tis reason's goal:
Enbosomed in forbiddance, mystery veils it whole.
Thei
1
�ik
VCTQBER, 1928
21
Let but its name within a precinct fall,
Then temulent become as ne'er had been'
All those that hear the word—aye, drunk withal,
Yet free from shame, unstained by sin:
Their action is conviction from within.
But marvel not this name could thus inflame
And ever our enquiring reason quell and win—
Disdainful of containers or their claim,
The real escaped and left behind its potent name.
II
Shouldst thou recall its name, though unawares,
Rejoicing, thou wouldst banish all thy cares.
Suffice a glimpse at its unbroken seal
To thrill the convive's mind and make him real.
Besprinkled where the dead man long had lain,
Revived rises he and lives again.
Th' afflicted laid beside its vineyard's wall,
Would shake his sickness off and break its thrall.
The crippled, near it borne, would forthwith walk;
The dumb, observing how it tastes, would talk.
Should its aroma scent the orient air,
It would a westerner's chronic cold repair.
Upon a reaching hand, its goblet's ray
Becomes a star to guide one's nightly way.
Anointed haply o'er one's sightless eyes,
Though blind from birth, one's night for ever flies.
Decanted, gurgling flows its liquid clear
To cure his deafness, he who ne'er did hear.
Though bit, a pilgrim to its native land
Unpoisoned stays and journeys with his band.
Th' exorcist, tracing with his hand its name
Upon the insane's brow, insures his fame.
Inscribed upon a flag, this name would raise
An army's soul to earn deserved praise,
Through it the convive's nature grows refined,
Enlarged, ennobled, active, unresigned,
The hand that ne'er had given would spend its hoard
And patient grow, though ired, th' intolerant lord.
Th' unlettered boor, should he its veiling kiss,
Enlightened would arise in novel bliss.
�22
THE SYRIAN WORLD
oc:
III
"Describe this wine, thou learned," they declareAye, aye,—its attributes, know ye are these:
'Tis clear—more, clear than limpid drops of air;
More gentle than the summer's curling breeze;
'Tis flameless light pervading all it sees 5
Unincarnated soul it is, and was;
Ancient of days preceding all that is;
Impalpable and formless; cause of cause;
—But veiled from fools by its creations and its laws.
One
Anc
My soul has sought it, and with it combined
In loving oneness—but not matter there—
All wine became—no vine—though all mankind
And I old Adam's dust we share;
Yet, though my mother is its mother fair,
Behold a vine—no wine is there to see.
The reason for a vehicle or ware
—Its sense and value—is utility:
Though varied we, our soul's the wine, and vines are we.
F01
Before it no before the world has known,
And after it no other after is;
Finite is time to it—to it alone
Time owes its aeons and its distances:
In that beyond must sink all entities.
Its vintage was before the dawn of time,
And then our father's time commenced; it is
Its predecessor, ever in its prime,
Yet parentless, and lives in orphanhood sublime.
Nc
Rare virtues these that stir the soul to sing
Its praises both in gentle verse and prose;
Rejoicing of the heart its name doth bring
To him who never tasted it; his woes
Are banished and his dulness goes.
Like him whose heart is burning fast for Noam,
Though absent she, yet passing happy grows
To hear her name: he'd leap, he'd dance, he'd roam,
—To Paradise he soars forgetting Earth, his home.
on
m;
gPSggi?
�OCTOBER,
23
1928
IV
"Thou hast but drunk iniquity," they jibe.
—Nay, nay, I drank that which from it t' abstain
Is sin itself. Oh, for the cloistered tribe!
How oft, affected, reeled that holy train—
Nor tasted they the wine, though they would fain.
One draught of it I had at life's young dawn,
And drunken all my life I must remain,
And drunken still will be when life had gone,
And, moldering back to earth, gone sinew, flesh and bone,
Oh, drink it pure in deep ecstatic sips,
Unmixed absorb it, nor with it ought blend
Save lucent dews that grace the loved one's lips;
—To this admixture heart and will shouldst bend,
Or wrong thyself and heavenly taste offend.
Go seek it at its press—its virgin well;
To it with dulcent music thyself lend:
What boon it is with song!—Would words could tell!
For never care with it or song one hour can dwell.
One hour with it—one reveling, merry hour—
And lo, the groveling world obeys thy rule,
Thy servant it, and thou its lord of power;
What joy be his, who sober struts and cool?
Undrunken bore he lives, and dies a fool!
Unhappy he, as well bewail his days—
Misspent and void, a stagnant, rayless pool—
Who wastes his life in erring arid ways,
Nor with this wine, e'en though in dreams, his thirst allays.
It is related that the powerful Arab tribe Banu Tamim sought
one day their poet laureate and chided him for having long remained silent in singing their praise.
"Inspire me with your worthy deeds," he replied.
�(
24
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"Syria for the Syrians" Again
AN EXPLANATION AND A RETRACTION.
By
DR.
M.
SHADID
TO the February, 1927, issue of the SYRIAN WORLD I contributed an article under the above caption which stirred up some
discussion in the March and April numbers of the same year.
The substance of this article was to the effect that for cultural, social and economic reasons or advantages, Syria is the
country of choice for Syrians to live in.
Recently I returned from a European trip with a side trip
through Syria and Egypt whose purpose was to find out whether
or not cultural, social and economic conditions were such as to
justify me in taking my family there to live.
I must say at the outset that I spent one month only in Syria,
and out of this month eleven days were spent in Judeidet Marjy'oun, my native village. However I visited many cities and
towns, viz., Beirut, Damascus, Sidon, Zahle, Jerusalem, Tiberias,
Haifa and many smaller places in Mount Lebanon.
As to the cultural and social advantages, I wish to reiterate
all that I have said in my former article and in my rebuttal to my
critics. In no country in the world can a Syrian feel at home as
he can in Syria. In no country in the world can he feel that he
is the equal of his neighbor. Nowhere can he obtain so full a
measure of social equality, and least of all in the United States
of America where, like the Jew, he is socially ostracized. The
superiority complex of the American people bars him from any
adequate measure of social intercourse so necessary to a well
rounded life.
Man is a gregarious animal, a social animal. Deprive him
of social relations and adequate social intercourse with his fellows
and he becomes "lop-sided," narrow, mean, cynical, Schopenhauer
to the contrary notwithstanding. Friendship, association, neighborliness, social occasions and what not are the aroma of life and it
is a hard, sordid life that is deprived of these relations. Yet that
is the life the average Syrian leads in these United States. I
observed the) life of Syrians along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
�MBS
OCTOBER, 1928
25
and in the West and South, and I find it always the same. You
can always find Syrians trying to colonize and thus find relief from
social ostracism and social discontent and ennui. And where they
cannot, for business reasons, colonize you will find them driving
fifty to two hundred miles weekends to meet some Syrians and enjoy a day of social intercourse.
In my former article I tried to show that Syrians, like the
Jews, were socially ostracised in this country because of the prejudice that exists against our race. I was severely criticized for
this by those who, ostrich-like, bury their heads in the sand. I
was accused of making generalizations from strictly personal experience as though my case was in any particular unique, while in
reality it is not.
Cultural advantages in Syria are on a high plane. The benefits of education are widespread. I had the privilege of addressing school children on two occasions and I find that much progress
has been made in teaching in the schools and colleges. The American University of Beirut deserves especial mention. It certainly
is the greatest asset that Syria has today.
Too bad the same things cannot be said of economic conditions in Syria. But the truth as I see it must be told even though
it hurts. I have visited twelve different countries on this trip and
Syria comes closer than any of them to economic ruin. I have certainly been misinformed on economic conditions in that country or
I would not have said what I did say in the February, 1927, number of THE SYRIAN WORLD. Follows an excerpt of what I did
write:
"The majority of the Syrian people in the United States will
be better off economically in their own country. The needs of
Syria are agricultural and Syrian agricultural possibilities have not
been touched. Successful agriculture depends on available cheap
land and cheap labor, and Syria has both of them.
"Cotton in Syria should be a very profitable crop, indeed
more so than in this country owing to the climatic conditions and
to the availability of cheap land and cheap labor. And cotton is
a world staple with a ready market. Egypt prospers with cotton,
why not Syria? Corn and wheat may be produced in great abundance in Syria, and I verily believe that the only way to stop emigration of our people to foreign lands is in educating our people to
the very great possibilities of farming.
"But farming, though the chief opportunity, is not the only
�_«-«_*
26
THE SYRIAN WORLD
one in Syria for the Syrians. Once agriculture is put on its feet
the country will become ready for other commercial and industrial
enterprises. In this country all depends on agriculture j where
farmers succeed all others succeed in proportion. When farmers
fail others fail too. The same will apply to Syrian agriculture,
etc."
*
Much as I hate to do so, I wish now to retract this statement.
Economic conditions in Syria are as bad as they have always been
and as they will be for a long time to come. The causes of economic distress in Syria are too fundamental to be remedied by a
change of government or legislation. The causes have to do with
soil, climate, available land, popular psychology, agricultural and
mechanical education, etc.
Where I got the notion I do not know, but I have been under
the impression that there was plenty of good tillable cheap land
in Syria, and that the climate for farming purposes was all that
could be desired. From this false premise I arrived at the conclusion above stated within quotation marks.
Imagine my disillusionment when I discoverd that most of
Syria was hilly, mountainous, broken land and that it did not rain
as at rule during April, May, June, July, August and September.
There is some irrigable land, to be sure, but not enough, and what
land there is under irrigation is beyond the reach of the average
man to buy. For the equivalent of the American acre I was
asked from three hundred to one thousand dollars an acre. Nor
was this price based on the actual yield of the crop. It was based
on sentiment and other reasons. I can go to Louisiana today and
buy land that would average not less than one cotton bale to the
acre for fifty dollars per acre.
I am told there is plenty of land around Horns and Hamma
but it might be too cold for cotton and if it does not rain for six
months out of twelve you cannot raise much of anything without
irrigation. I cannot champion a "back to Syria movement" when
I do not find enough good land to support the present population.
Syria will probably import wheat this year as it has done at times
before.
Nor does one find any compensation for this lack of soil and
proper climate. I find no mining industry and no manufacturing
industry to employ men and women who have no land to till.
Farming, mining and manufacturing are the basis of economic
prosperity and well-being, but I do not find any of them in Syria
�OCTOBER, 1928
27
to any mentionable extent. I am told that Syria at one time supported a much larger population than at present inhabit it. Possibly in those days the wants of the people were simple and few.
But they have now expanded with expanding civilization, and
what was sufficient for our fathers is not quite sufficient for ourselves j the luxuries of yesterday are necessities today.
There being no large producing class of people, one can
hardly expect prosperity for the commercial and professional
classes. Twenty business failures is the record for Beirut for the
last six months. Syria is top heavy with people who are trying
to make a living in a secretarial, professional, commercial, nonproductive fashion. You can hire a servant for five to ten dollars
a month. You may secure a chauffeur for twenty-five dollars a
month and expect him to feed himself. There is plenty of cheap
labor but no cheap land.
Nor is living cheap compared with cheap labor except in the
interior villages. In Beirut I consider living costs high compared
with wages and income. One can make a living as a clerk, a chauffeur, etc., but it will not be a good living. And this is as might be
expected. Where production of commodities is meager as in agriculture, and where manufactured articles as cloth, beer, ink, chocolate, shoes, hats, etc., are imported, the cost of living will be high.
It is doubly high where wages and salaries are as low as competition for jobs can make them.
Taxes are high as they are nearly everywhere during this
post-war period, but they weigh doubly heavy on people in Syria
and Palestine owing to these economic conditions.
Syria is not yet self-supporting and will not be for some
time to come. People require mechanical and agricultural edu;ation and they need to learn that all labor is honorable and most
of all farm labor. The farmer must not be held in low esteem,
for he is the foundation stone of prosperity and civilization. The
people will have to develop more initiative. They should learn
to depend on their own resources and not on those of others. They
import their beer, their chocolate, their ink, their car batteries, etc.,
etc. There is no excuse for such lack of initiative. There is
plenty of local talent and intrinsic ability but no initiative. In
time, no doubt, they will develop this initiative and with the help
of capital which is ever seeking new fields of investment, will muster their own resources.
At the present time Syria's imports greatly exceed her ex-
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ports which is a positive sign of economic backwardness. She is
living a parasitic existence to a large extent. She raises some
0J1 ves,, wheat, silk, fruits, etc., but not enough to counteract her
great dependence in other respects. She lives in a large measure
irom her tourist trade and from money sent her from her sons in
the Americas and elsewhere in the world. Something like ten
million dollars are sent her annuallly for maintenance.
It hurts me to have to make this retraction and these admissions. I have been in this country for 30 years and always intended to return to my native country. For the last ten years I
have been taking special courses in medicine and surgery trying to
cover every specialty and to acquire a working knowledge of every
branch of medicine and surgery with a view to going back to Syria
and to build a hospital and establish a clinic to take care of the
sick and defective. This I may yet do. But I am no longer very
enthusiastic about my native country since I made this visit. If I
do return it will not be because of any overpowering enthusiasm
but from a sense of service—because I feel that I can do (there)
enormously more good than I can elsewhere.
Arab Proverbs
If you would keep your secret from your enemies keep it
also from your friends.
The one-eyed man is king among the totally blind.
Trees often transplanted seldom prosper.
Only the bones rattle in the pot.
He was the first in commiting assault, yet the first in
making a complaint.
A lover's blows are like pelting with raisins, and his stones
as welcome as pomegranates.
Mud may not adhere, but it will leave a mark.
�29
OCTOBER, 1928
The Bride of the Brave
A complete short story depicting chivalrous marriage customs
in the interior of Syria
t
By AREPH EL-KHOURY
Q OUR uncle and our Sheikh, today is your day. I am seeking
your help," said a youth of gigantic height and the appearance of 3- lion.
He was about twenty-five years of age and of olive complexion like the rest of his compatriots, descendants of a race which for
thousands of years had lived in the hills surrounding the noble
mountains of Hermon. His wide forehead indicated power and
his deep brown eyes glowed with a strange fire. His nose was
that of a Grecian, and his small dark moustache crowned a delicate mouth which indicated intelligence and kindness. His strong,
square chin was that of a true mountaineer.
The Sheikh was a descendant of the tribes who emigrated to
Hauran from Southern Arabia and were known in that part of the
world as the "Ghassassinah" whose princes were once the Roman
deputy governors of Syria. Being Christian, they were forced to
flee to the interior after the Moslem hosts had defeated the
Romans on the plains of Damascus.
"Tell us your troubles, O my lad," said the Sheikh, beguiling
himself by counting the beads of his rosary.
"O uncle, in the village of El-Rasa there is a pair of blue
eyes!" said Kamil, the young man.
"Which means that I am to go and demand her as wife
for my nephew."
"If you order it."
"Who may the girl be and, furthermore, does she love you?
"She is the daughter of the Sheikh of El-Rasa. This answers the first part of your question. As for the second, I have
my hand in cold water."
"Go, my son, and we are relying on His mercy."
As Kamil heard this he took the Sheikh's hand, kissed it and
placed it on his forehead. Flinging his Aba (cloak) over his arm,
he left the house.
�?0
THE SYRIAN WORLD
As he reached home his mother, with outstretched arms
eagerly inquired, "What did he say?"
'
«SC [ider °/}he horSe Promised good omens."
lne long of days," commented the mother."
h rd in the court ard
ran
' WaSorder,
? my lord?" y '
ran tfhl^
to him: ^wlV
"What is your
A se
nt
tinn<Th,eAheikh ^VVhl nameS °f Several Persons wIth instructhem t0 Visk him durin
evening
^
S the followi»g
At the appointed time they came. They were minor Sheikhs
S^eSieikh ^ ^ °n imp0rtL —unitytt!
fnll f 7KamC Ital1 Shfik,h With a broad face and ^ white beard,
null' Si *£ ^ Sk4ider °ne> and behind the came a
IT IK ^S- The firSt t0 enter was ^e venerable
Se X
f-Khallili. The second was Sheikh Taric,
the most humorous of the circle, generous and wealthy, having
a C dd and
m^
?e Wit of an EgyP^n. Sheikh Assad had
f J
much respect for him because, aside from his humorous air with
which he was endowed by the grace of Allah, he had the wisdom
or an Arab philosopher.
Sheikh Assad stood to his height and invited them to sit on
the divan. To the amazement of everyone, Taric retired- he
returned a few minutes later when they had all been seated!
Sit, O Sheikh Taric," said Sheikh Assad. But the latter
hesitating at first and looking about the room, finally said, «Aiee'
by Allah, sit, and where shall one sit? Look, youcan't place a
shoe between one Sheikh and another!" Sheikh Assad and the
company laughed heartily.
«*r C|gare"eS *?e serYed af well as coffee. Sheikh Assad spoke:
Kamil has found a girl, and his mother asks you to join me in
going forth to ask her hand in marriage "
h G d S mer
Cried Sheikh Taric
ri«*
' ° 'tiger shall
fn:have
- "Can * ** credible
that !°
the insane
a wife?"
"This is the hand of Allah! "said Sheikh Naif. "But who
is the girl and who are her parents?"
UngCSt
er f Sheikh Ameen S lim
J7heJ°
° Assad.
*
of the village
S
oft Kofra,"
answered/^
Sheikh
"El-Salibi!" (the crusader) murmured Sheikh Taric. For
�OCTOBER, 1928
31
Sheikh Ameen was a direct descendant of a knight whq with other
Christian warriors had fled northward after the Crusaders' defeat
at the battle of Yarmook. Here they changed their names and
settled among the natives. They became prosperous, and Ameen's
grandfather was proclaimed a Sheikh of his village. His sons
inherited the same office.
Sheikh El-Khallili stood to his height. With his right hand
touching his moustache, he said: "Kamil is a hair in our moustache
and for the sake of his eyes we shall ride."
"We shall," echoed those who were seated.
This took place on Friday, and on Monday ten sheikhs and
ten equerries gathered in Sheikh Assad's courtyard. Sheikh Taric
came riding a white Arabian mare, a splendid animal as large as
a camel. Slung on his shoulder was a modern Turkish Mauser
rifle, while an old jewelled sword swung at his side. Sheikh Assad
rode an Arabian horse of the "Irkawia" strain. He carried his
jewelled scimitar, rifle and jewelled Hedjezian dagger, while his
chest was gleaming with cartridge belts. A gigantic negro rode
at the head of the group, Sheikh Assad's bodyguard. Behind the
Sudanese came Sheikh Assad, Sheikh El-Khallili and Sheikh
Taric. The rest of the Sheikhs with 'their footmen followed on
colts.
After three hours of hard riding they came to the public
fountain situated at the eastern end of the village to which they
were going. As they passed they saw two maidens strolling among
the almond trees. Sheikh El-Khallili pushed his mare, exclaiming "This is the girl." Sheikh Assad looked and saw a tall, slender maiden dressed in crimson. Her uncovered head was carried
high. Heavy braids of fair hair like the color of Arab honey hung
over her shoulders. Her blue eyes, ruddy complexion and broad
forehead were a combination of beauty and intelligence.
Having satisfied themselves of the beauty of the girl, the
company rode at a gallop to Sheikh Ameen's house. At the foot
of the steps which led to the main entrance they were received by
Sheikh Ameen and a few of the village Sheikhs. Greetings were
exchanged by kissing the hands and then the lips, the customary
greeting of that part of the country. The host led the way to a
large hall spread with rich rugs.
"My house is honored," began Sheikh Ameen as the servant
brought coffee, cigarettes and lemonade. After a brief interval
Sheikh Assad made an effort to disclose the object of his mission.
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"You shall say nothing now of what you have come for. The
rights of hospitality ordain that you stay three days, upon the
expiration of which you are at liberty to say why you are here.
Yowr presence knows that."
"May your house be always available for the protection of
the needy," said Sheikh Assad, "and may your gate, by the grace
of Allah, be open to every seeker. As for ourselves, we count
ourselves among members of the household and the laws of hospitality do not apply to us. We deem it our privilege to be hosts
in your house. Therefore let me continue what I started to say."
Walla, I am all ears."
4 "I and my house are at your order.
"May Allah grant you long age," interposed El-Khallili.
"We have come to pay our respects to you, and to ask the
hand of youp sister in honorable marriage to my nephew Kamil."
Sheikh Ameen's face became serious. His hand holding the
rosary rested limply on his knee as he remained silent for a few
minutes. Finally he said, "Had your presence come asking for
one of my sons I would have offered him; but alas! We have
already pledged our word." At this Sheikh Assad would not
remain any longer. He rose, followed by the rest, and advanced
toward the corner where the rifles were stacked, but Sheikh Ameen
intercepted him, pleading "Pray, remain in our house for the
night."
"May it continue prosperous," said El-Khallili. "Allow us
to go." Sheikh Ameen stepped aside.
When they reached their village they were met by their sons,
headed by Kamil. From the expression on their faces one could
tell that they were disappointed. Kamil went with his uncle to
the latter's house.
"Answer what I am about to ask," said Sheikh Assad.
"Yes, O uncle."
"When did you meet the girl?"
"When we visited the church of Saint George."
"Did you talk to her?"
"Yes."
"And what did she tell you?"
"She turned her cheeks," said Kamil shyly.
"Did you tell her that you wanted her to be your wife?"
"Yes."
"Did she promise to remain your love?"
"Aiee."
�OCTOBER,
1928
33
"Now go to Sheikh El-Khallili and do as he orders."
*
*
*
Sheikh El-Khallili was seated on a pile of rugs; before him
was a water pipe. His son Aned was leaning sidewise close to
him. He was a brave youth of about twenty. As Kamil entered
he saluted and sat down. "O Sheikh El-Khallili, what is to be
done?" he asked.
"God is merciful," was the answer. "You heed what I am
about to tell you. The ancient custom by which you can obtain
the girl without humiliation or disgrace on your part may now be
invoked. Aned will go with you. So will Fawaz, the son of
Sheikh Taric, and Wahaj the son of Sheikh Youssif, and Zien
your cousin. What you should do is to communicate with the girl
and agree on a date for her to leave her brother's home. At the
appointed time you will be waiting for her on the plains beneath
the village. But remember, if you are pursued, shoot, but not to
kill. Hit with your swords to disarm but not to wound. Strike
with your hands but not to hurt. Because if anyone is killed there
will be a feud leading to acts of reprisal, and Sheikh Ameen was
our ally in days of clashes. Go and Allah be with you."
Kamil left and Aned followed.
A week later the village youths gathered in Kamil's house.
"Two weeks and we shall ride, if God is pleased," said Kamil.
"And Zien?" asked Aned.*
"The news intoxicated him. Upon hearing it he began to
polish his rifle and sharpen his scimitar. I assure you that he is
resting on fire," said Kamil.
As the sun disappeared behind the hill marking the boundary
of Sheikh Assad's farm, a body of horsemen appeared on the footpath leading to the main gate.
"Welcome!" shouted a youth as he advanced towards them
followed by a slave. "Welcome, O riders of the darkness." They
greeted him and entered the courtyard where the ranchmen were
resting.
"Are you hungry?" asked Zien.
"No, by God." (La walla.)
"Are we to ride now?" said Aned.
i
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Aiee, by Allah and your eyes!" Then he commanded the
slave Meteb to saddle the fair one. And no sooner had they all
mounted than they rode into the darkness.
A little before midnight they were in the plains at the foot
of Sheikh Ameen's village. Zien, being the son of the Sheikh of
the village and the better strategist, was the leader of the company. In marksmanship and horsemanship he had no peer.
Fawaz was left at this spot and at distances of a hundred
paces apart they stationed Kamil, Aned and Wahaj. Zien pushed
ahead, followed by the slave leading the mare. At the entrance
to the village Zien dismounted and advanced cautiously but encountered no one. Finally he wrapped his "kaffieh" (kerchief)
around his head and advanced toward the house of Sheikh Ameen.
Silence prevailed save for the stamping hoofs of some animals.
Within five yards of the gate there was a fig tree which he climbed
to better see and listen, but no one appeared.
"Has she deceived us?" he thought to himself. "Or has
she gone by another road?" He looked around but saw nothing
save the white stone walls of the house. The strains of a flute were
heard in the upper part of the village. Zien was so raptured that
he almo/t forgot his errand, when suddenly below him, under the
branches of the tree, he saw a figure, from whose appearance he
judged it was a woman. The figure looked to the south, then to
the east, as if searching for someone. Zien whispered, "Who is
this—Kholla?"
She turned sharply around and asked, "Who are vou,
y
Kamil?"
'
"No, Zien." He descended quickly and, seizing her by the
arm, placed his kaffieh and ikal on her head and threw the aba
over her shoulders. She turned the kerchief around her face and
left nothing visible except her eyes.
"For God's sake, let us hurry; if I am overtaken they will
cut my throat," said the girl.
"Not while this sword is in my left and this rifle in my
right," he replied confidently. Without being molested, they
reached the place where the slave was stationed.
"Can you ride?" asked Zien, and for answer she lightly
sprang into the saddle.
"Walla, is this the girl?" said the slave.
"Hush, you stupid fellow, someone may hear you," commanded Zien. When they had advanced a short distance the
-
�OCTOBER,
1928
35
moon appeared from behind Hermon. A horseman's silhouette
was visible.
"Who is that?" asked Kholla.
"Kamil," said Zien, grinning.
"Did you bring her?" asked the horseman, who proved to be
Wahaj.
"Thi s is not Kamil's voice," she said, and the slave laughed.
As they proceeded another horseman appeared, but this time
Kholla did not speak. The horseman was Aned who, upon seeing her face in the moonlight, exclaimed "Another moon!" By
this time Kamil came galloping at top speed followed by Fawaz,
and as he reached them they drew the heads of their mares aside
and left him and Kholla alone. They rode swiftly and at sunrise they came upon a man from Kholla's village, who, upon seeing her, shouted: "Aiee, kidnapped?" Zien disengaged his right
foot from the stirrup and dashed upon the man to kick him, but
Aned came between them. "It is forbidden," he said. Zien refrained from his rash act of violence but shouted: "Aiee, and six
hundred aiees! go and tell of what you have seen!" The man
made no answer, but he drove his needle deep in the neck of
his mule.
Three hours later the raiders were at the top of the hill about
two miles from their village. Once among the vineyards they
made their way to the tent of the guardian of the crops who served
them a substantial meal. They tarried until darkness before resuming their march.
At about a quarter of a mile from the village their advance
was halted by a bullet whizzing above their heads. It came from
the ruins of an old house and was followed by several more in
quick succession. Zien would not consent to take to cover and
raised his rifle to his shoulder and was about to fire when Kholla
seized the rifle.
"That is my brother," she cried.
Zien, however, charged on the ambush with drawn sword
and the men ceased firing. Wahaj and Fawaz followed Zien and
the men in the ruins surrendered. They were Kholla's young
brother, a lad of twenty, her cousin and her betrothed. At that
moment the village horsemen appeared on the ridge. They were
about fifty, headed by Sheikh Assad. In fact, when Kholla's
relatives heard the firing of the village rifles and the beat of the
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
drum, and saw Zien dashing upon them like a cyclone, their
strength and courage failed them.
"We never expected this of you," said Kholla's brother to
her, but she made no answer.
"Your brother, eh?" said Zien, addressing Kholla. She
bowed her head. Zien, the panther, then turned preacher. "This
is the hand of Allah, and whatever a person does is written on his
forehead. Your brother shall now be our honored guest," and,
addressing the youth, "Come before these horsemen know anything about our little affair."
"Good news, if it please God?" inquired Sheikh Assad as
he arrived on the scene.
"A little gazwa" (raid), answered Meteb, the slave.
Sheikh Assad surveyed them with a scrutinizing look,
"Where is the loot?" and all eyes turned toward Kholla who
lifted her head proudly.
It was but a short time when the whole company entered the
house of Sheikh Assad. They were no sooner seated than a
woman's voice from another compartment was letting loose a torrent of abusive language against Sheikh Assad and all his village.
It was Kholla's mother. Presently the mother dashed into the
hall. "Where is she, the she dog?" she shouted.
"Be patient, O Sheikha" (wife of the Sheikh), said Sheikh
Taric.
"Curses on your beard and face!" she hissed, and in her
rage she dashed from one room to another, striking, cursing and
abusing everyone who stepped in her way. Kholla was sent to a
nearby house. Her brother, who seemed to understand things
better than his mother, ran to Sheikh Assad.
"O Sheikh," he said, "we have come only to please her.
If we had stayed she would have made a group of gypsies out
of us. My brother Ameen bid me tell you that."
"May God direct us to the right path," answered the Sheikh,
and then, addresing the village priest, "O priest, go and appease
the Sheikha." The priest went in company of Sheikh El-Khallili.
They found the old woman belching her verbal bombardment
against the women of the village, who made no answer.
"Ya Hormi!" (O woman) cried the priest. She looked
around, and seeing the priest, she ceased talking. "Come and hear
the word," he continued, and she meekly advanced and kissed his
hand.
�37.
OCTOBER, 1928
"Many things have happened in this world and many more
shall happen," said the priest. "No one knows what the future
has in store for him. The wise course to follow is to submit to
fate. Do you think it wise and sane to take your daughter back
after our youths have kidnapped her? This is the custom. Remember that your eldest son did the same thing when he brought
his wife. Now, the thing for you to do is to ask your daughter
if she loves our boy—if not you may take her back."
"No, no, I prefer to take her in a casket if things reach that
limit!" she said.
"Then return to your house and we shall make peace with
your son Sheikh Ameen."
As she disappeared on the road in the direction of her village
the priest boastfully remarked, "Had it not been for my presence,
God knows what would have happened."
"Rather say it was the respect for your jubba and calloussa
(robe and hat) among women. But had it been an affair between
men only swords and rifles would have decided the difference,"
rejoined Sheikh Taric.
The Desert
By
MITCHELL FERRIS
Bare rocks and burning sands
Crawling with living death,
Wave on wave it stretches,
A barren land of dread.
Death in every crevice,
Death in the shifting sands,
Death in its most hideous form,
From Nature's grasping hands.
This is the land of the strong,
No weakling here can live,
The mighty She takes to Her bosom,
To them the treasures of the earth she gives.
I have served Her long and true,
And now that my day has come,
Thank God! She claims her own
When the race of life is run.
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Palestine Economic Readjustment
JTrlE process of economic readjustment in Palestine, following
the crisis of 1925, continued during 1927, according to reports
from Oscar S. Heizer, American Consul in Jerusalem, published
in Commerce Reports of September 3. Important developments
during the year included the introduction of a new currency.and
the conclusion of a loan for various lines of construction work.
Activity increased among exporting industries, but the low purchasing power tended to depress those producing for the local
market. Building operations declined, and there was little change
in the unemployment situation. Agricultural production was favorable and exports of oranges increased considerably. Work
was started on the Jordan River hydroelectric project. Immigration declined sharply.
The orange crop, which constitutes the principal export item,
totaled 2,214,000 cases during 1926-27, as compared with
1,515,000 cases in 1925-26 and 2,146,500 cases in 1924-25.
There has been a steady expansion of area under orange cultivation, especially around Jaffa, and a large increase in exports
of this fruit is expected in the near future. This situation has
necessitated the development of new markets for oranges and
during the year considerable progress was made in Germany,
Denmark, Holland and Rumania. In order to maintain the
standard of Palestine oranges on foreign markets, the Government adopted regulations with respect to quality and preparations for shipment.
Experiments were carried on during the year with a view
to developing the export of grapes. A shipment made to Great
Britain proved to meet the quality demand on that market. As
a result a regular trade in this fruit is expected to develop. The
area under melons, another important export item, was increased
during the year.
Cereal returns are reported to have compared favorably
with the previous year, large increases being recorded for durrah
and sesame and average1 returns for wheat and barley. A threeday agricultural show, held at Haifa with the purpose of encouraging the introduction of more modern methods in farming, was
attended by approximately 15,000 persons. There were 1,589
�OCTOBER, 1928
29
agricultural exhibits, 227 exhibits of agricultural industries, and
25 miscellaneous displays.
As in 1926, an orange show was held at Jaffa, with satisfactory results for both growers and exporters.
Credit conditions were not satisfactory during 1927, but
certain important financial developments toward the end of the
year had a favorable effect on the general situation. These included the introduction of the new Palestine currency and the
flotation of a loan in London for construction work, etc.
The new currency, based on the pound sterling, was introduced on November 1, 1927, and is guaranteed by both the British and Palestine Governments. This currency is entirely covered by British securities. The Palestine pound, as the new unit
is called, is divided into 1,000 mills, and replaces the Egyptian
currency hitherto in local circulation, estimated at between
£E1,500,000 and £E,2,000,000<. The exchange of currency was
to be completed by March 31, 1928.
The increasing need of various construction work in order
to expedite the development of the country created a necessity
for capital from abroad. To this end a loan, not to exceed
£4,500,000, was floated in London in December. The loan is to
be'utilized as follows: Railway construction, £1,640,000; harbor construction and port improvements, £1,115,000; other
works, as public buildings ,etc, £745,000; purchase of existing
railway and other capital assets from the British Government,
£1 000 000. It is also proposed to construct a harbor at Haifa
with a'part of the proceeds. These new projects are expected
to alleviate somewhat the unemployment situation.
The Government monopoly on salt was abolished November
1, 1927, and mining of rock salt was begun at the southern end
of the Dead Sea by a local concern, with a view to supplying the
Palestine market.
The damage sustained from earthquakes during July created an urgent demand for emergency funds and had a tempos
rarily unfavorable effect on economic conditions. The losses
were chiefly at Nablus, Es-Salt, and other sections of northern
Palestine, as well as in Trans Jordan.
Work was started during the latter part of the year on the
Jordan hydroelectric concession, which covers the exclusive utilization of the Jordan and Yarmuk Rivers for hydroelectric purposes and involves the construction of dams, reservoirs, canals,
�MgMH
40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
pumping stations, etc. This project is an important factor in the
economic progress of the country, since it will aid industrial development that is now handicapped by the necessity of importing
all fuel.
A concession for the exploitation of the mineral wealth of
the Dead Sea was agreed to in principle during the year. The
mineral resources of the country have not been fully investigated but preliminary surveys indicate that the Dead Sea deposits represent at present the country's most valuable mineral
asset from a commercial point of view.
Building operations which hitherto provided considerable
employment in the cities, declined from the 1926 level. Approximately £P770,000 were spent on new construction during 1927
as against £P1,141,000 in 1926 and £P2,059,000 in 1925.
The financial statement of the Government of Palestine
for the period April 1-December 31, 1927, shows receipts totaling £P1,739,400 and expenditures reaching £P1,944,400, thus
producing a deficit of £P205,000. Estimates for this period
covered revenues to £Pl,772,400 and expenditures to £P1,923,900. Approximately £P346,500 were spent on public works,
as compared with an estimate of £P145,800; this extra work,
although not of an urgent nature, was undertaken with a view
to ameliorating the unemployment situation.
Returns from customs, excise and port dues show a small
decrease from the previous year, attributed in part to exemption
of local industry from import duties on certain raw materials,
including cotton and yarns of linen, jute, hemp and flax, corkwood, offaling of olive oil, etc.
Gradual progress was made along industrial lines during
the year. Certain industries were aided by the new customs tariff, which either reduced or abolished the duty on many materials used in manufacture. The limited purchasing power of the
population, however, has continued to retard the development
of industries entirely dependent on the home market, but industries which export a part of their production were favored by an
increased demand from nearby markets, as Syria and Egypt. This
increase was chiefly in leather, cement, textiles, olive oil, and
soap.
A few small manufacturing plants, mainly those making
biscuits and candy, made progress on the local market in compe-
?prr
~
*
�OCTOBER, 1928
41
tition with foreign products. Various new enterprises were
^^t^iSSric. are small and their working «£
tal limited, the increased activity has had only a slight effect
on tne national economic structure Their sustained W£
however, have absorbed some of the labor released from build%%eut°weekly air service was maintained throughout the
year between Cairo and Baghdad and Basra, with a stop at Gaza,
^^Foreign trade in 1927 was marked by an increase of 43 per
cent over 1926 in value of exports, including specie shipments,
and a small decline in imports for consumption.
Egypt furnished 28.39 per cent of Palestine's importsj the
United Kingdom, 13.71; Syria, 14.26; Germany, 9.02; France,
5 7- Italv 4.85; United States, 4.3 per cent.
5
' The United Kingdom' took 34.75 per cent of Palestine exports, followed by Egypt, with 29.1 per cent; Syria 13 72;
France, 5.89; Germany, 4.75; the United States, "t£arce*.
The tide of emigration, which set in during 1926, at the
height of the crisis, continued during 1927. A total of 2 274
Sons who had been residents of Palestine prior to July, 1920
and 4?704 settlers since that date left the country; the respective
figures for 1926 were 1,694 and 7,735.
At the same time there was a decrease in the number of
immigrants, only 3,395 arriving in 1927 as against 13,910 m
thC
TL°UeSsSed that the number of tourists during,1927
exceeded that of the previous year when they totaled 13,000.
A REDEEMING FEATURE
Two Arab sages, Qus Ibn Sa'ida and Aktham Ibn Saify,
were discussing the failings of human nature and the best indiSnTgoodgcharacter. Said Ibn Saify: "The vices of man are
many "Yes," replied Ibn Sa'ida, "but I know of one characterSc which if practised will overshadow all man's vices no matter
how numerous. It is the ability to hold one's tongue.
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
EDITORIAL COMMENT
CALL TO DUTY
QUR able contributor, Mr. A.
Hakim, touches in his discussion published in this issue on
a vital subject. We are in agreement with him on what he puts
in the mouth of his sage that
our loyalty should go whole and
undivided to our adopted country, yhis applies not alone to
the United States but to every
other country to which Syrian
emigration has been directed.
The Syrians of South America,
Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa owe their loyalty
first to their respective countries
of adoption. We have definitely passed the stage where our
emigration could be described as
temporary and transient. The
only justification for any form
of group formation on our part
is to protect and promote our
interests andl standing as a race,
and to ward off possible attacks by would-be detractors.
But there is another and
more important side to this
question. We should not only
give our loyalty to our adopted country but we should in all
honor and justice do so actively
and wholeheartedly. It is not
sufficient that we abide by the
law. It is equally or more important that we engage active-
ly in upholding the law. In
other words, we cannot remain
in the position of giving our
adopted country passive loyalty.
To be true citizens of a country
one must feel himself an integral part of it, giving it of his
best, and actively and conscientiously fulfilling his obligations towards it to the extent
that he expects to enjoy the
privileges it bestows.
Up to a certain time, Syrians
in the United States were satisfied with the help they felt
themselves competent to give in
times of national crises. During the last war there were
many Syrian volunteers who
would not wait for the draft.
Their most signal contribution,
however, was in their large purchases of the Liberty Loan issues. To this they were prompted by purely patriotic motives.
It should be one of their most
treasured distinctions to be
ranked first among racial groups
in proportion to their numbers
to have aided the country on
this occasion.
But even this we should not
consider enough. Our activities
should be evident in every
phase of national life. We
must prove our active interest
in the issues that come up before the country for decision.
�, OCTOBER, 1928
43
Not alone should we consider Syrian-American. Coming from
it our privilege but our sworn a country steeped in religious
prejudice, and looking to Amerduty to do so.
Now in the United States we ica as a haven of tolerance and
are approaching a presidential a country of equal opportunities
election which promises to be irrespective of a person's religone of the most hotly contested ious belief, the Syrian who has
in history, and calling for de- forsaken his former (allegiance
cision on many vital issues. Can and (has adopted American citithe Syrians remain indifferent in zenship grieves to discover that
the face of the vital matters that in his new homeland such views
convulse the nation? We trust in politics can be entertained as
they will not be and that they obtain in his motherland. His
will prove by their interest in realization of the disastrous efthe political life of the country fects such considerations had in
that their solicitude for its wel- shaping the destinies of his old
fare is deep and sincere. We country make him fearful of
have forsworn forever the ear- the same consequences befalling
lier attitude which has charac- his beloved America. His apterized the preliminary stage of prehension in this respect may
our immigration. Now it is in- be unduly exaggerated. Americumbent upon us to prove that can common sense and fair play
our claim to sincerity in natural- may be trusted to prevail in the
ization rests on a solid founda- end. But the Syrian who has
tion of fact. The opportunity gone through the hell-fire of
is now at hand for us to furnish religious prejudice as it raged
such proof. The country is ours in his motherland is rendered
as much as it is any other citi- particularly sensitive to any
zen, and our claim to such a possibility of arousing from his
right can never be validated ex- sleep the terrible monster of
cept by the exercise of those du- intolerance. And it is because
ties upon which depends the of such painful and disastrous
welfare of the country and the experiences that he is prone to
perpetuation of its institutions. magnify the slightest provocatory incident.
There are among the Syrians
in America a large number
RELIGION IN POLITICS whose main motive for immiMO one can regret the injection gration was the desire to escape
of the religious question in the oppression trailing in the
American politics more than the wake of religious intolerance.
�^*£E
MMMKKk-^
44
Certainly every Syrian in America feels the relief of being in
a country which does not countenance religious distinction.
The Syrian is anxious to forget
religion as a political expedient.
So much religious influence has
saturated politics in his motherland that the least mention of
such a possibility in his new
home? is repulsive and aggravating.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
same time the stamp of an official state religion.
With this in view, the Syrian-Americans can but condemn
any attempt to inject religion
into the politics of his adopted
country. He would like to see
perpetuated the ideal of equality of opportunity to all citizens. He sees no reason for
discrimination against any man
for having been raised on the
sidewalks of a metropolis of the
East, or on a farm of the West,
or in a log cabin in the Middle
States. Choice of candidates to
public office should be decided
on personal merit alone.
The Syrian-American of today is not the same person of
some decades ago. He has become 'thoroughly American in
conviction and practice. He
may be relied upon to exercise
the privilege of his franchise.
The welfare of the country,
the conduct of government, are
of as much concern to him as to
OSTRACISM
any other loyal citizen, native
or naturalized.
£)R. M. SHADID again raises
the issue /o£ social ostracism
Particularly now is the Syrian sensitive to the religious against the Syrians in America.
question. He finds that his He is as emphatic in his reiteramotherland is jstill crushed by tion of thi9 charge as he is canthe heavy hand of religious interference in politics. In Leb- did in his retraction of his
anon, political parties are form- championship of a "back to Syred on religious lines and gov- ia" movement. It is possible
ernments rise and fall in a proc- that our readers would want to
ess of continual readjustment express themselves on Dr. Shato denominational demarca- did's present views as they have
tions. While in the State of
Syria religious influence was so done on the former occasion. In
strong as to cause the anomalous such case we would ask corresand strange situation of decid- pondents to confine their coming on a republican form of ment to issues and refrain from
government but giving it at the personal allusions.
�L-
—————
OCTOBER, 1928
—
45
Books and Authors
MORE STORIES FROM THE EAST
Other Arabian Nights. By H. I. KATIBAH, New York. Charles
Scribner's Sons. $2.50.
Reviewed by NAGLA M. LAF LOOFY, M. D.
IT is rarely that someone in these effete years can add to an
almost completed store of dream tales dealing with devils,
hobgoblins, genies, princes charming and princesses fair; riding
carpets on air and steed afire j fighting all evils and doing worlds
of good before they "lived happily forever afterward" in the
approved fairy tale style. These delightful weaves of our restless childhood hours we owe to Grimm, Anderson, the almost
mythical Aesop and to a few others who are less widely known
but no less worthy of praise. Some of the best of these contributions to fariy lore come from the Arabian Nights. These I
consider more valuable because of their common appeal. They
are as delicious to the mental palate of adults as well as to children. They bespeak the subtle oriental wisdom inherent in the
lore of the ancient Arabian story tellers.
With the publication of "Other Arabian Nights" by H. I.
Katibah, I was surprised into wondering why we were made to
wait so long for tales that unquestionably belong to the One
Thousand and One vein.
"Other Arabian Nights" is a delightful collection of Arabic
folk lore. It is somehow strange to see these familiar tales in
a western setting, written in English and beautifully illustrated
by William Berger, already famous in America' for his technique.
In spite of the western clothing, Mr. Katibah manages to retain
the mellow Eastern flavor of these stories. There are nineteen
of them.
I picked up the volume I had just bought, intending to read
one of the tales—perhaps another—and then save the others for
odd moments later. I ended the entire book four hours later
without laying it aside excepting to eat „ I couldn't wait to finish it.
Within the two covers, the marids and the jinni work their
�—
•n
46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
wicked spells over gallant princes and princesses fair and dark.
Sit Bdour and Sultan Joseph do their utmost to break these
spells. Lovers pine and evil men and women spare no pains
to enslave the guileless spirits of the righteous.
But more delightful than these are the philosophic gems
in "The Seller of Words," "The Wife Who Bought Herself
a Name," "The World of Chance" and the "Fable of Men and
Beasts." The titles of these are barefaced hints to the deep wisdom one infers in the piece de resistance around which each tale
gyrates. There are usually two techniques in story telling. The
plot in which any moral is incidental to the weave and woof but
in which the action of the plot is more engrossing—is one. The
other is the moral or wise tid-bit under which the plot stands as
a structural base of support. Under the last category come tales
of experience, sugar coated for the palate. Obviously, all experience goes to the side of wisdom—all experience is moral.
Mr. Katibah's collection is practically all moral. All but
one of these stories have been bandied about in our own homes
for years by yarn spinners who heard them from other yarn
spinners during the long hill of years beyond the stretch of
memory. Katibah gathered them one by one, like pearls for a
matchless string, made notes of them and after compiling and
editing them, submitted them to Scribners, who were unhesitating in their acceptance. The single exceptoin noted above
is the "Magician of Samarkand." This is an original story of
his own conception. I am not a bit surprised at this. After
all, they are all stories out of theNear East and by Near Easterners. The names of these Near Easterners is legion—but
anonymous. Mr. Katibah is a Syrian j this is a sufficient voucher
for his originality.
THE SYRIAN QUESTION
Evolution Polkique de la Syrie sous le Mandat. By E. RABBAT.
Paris, Marcel Riviere & Cie. 25 fracs.
The author of this work is a Syrian lawyer who presents a
scholarly analysis of the different social, religious and political
problems besetting the Syrians. Emir Shakib Arslan, author of
the preface, describes this work of Mr. Rabbat as a masterpiece
r
m its line,
..
1
_ ...,
oc
•
mic
ATE
\
wril
spe;
�47
OCTOBER, 1928
Spirit of the Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcoamic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
GIVE GENEROUSLY
Our compatriots in the United States
are now facing two grave situations
which they should meet unhesitatingly
and immediately.
The first is the Porto Rico and Florida disasters which it is our duty to
help alleviate. To this end we urge
upon our clergy and our press the expending of special efforts to raise funds
for the relief of the sufferers.
The second is the present presidential campaign. We believe it is not
only to our interest but that it is our
duty to contribute to political parties.
We are now become a part of this nation and as such we should work actively for the defense of the principles
which we advocate. The American people now look upon us with a critical eye
and we cannot afford to remain neutral
or indifferent. We may form committees of our own for the support of the
different parties and our contributions
may go to them, but, of course, a strict
account must be rendered by these committees to check upon the expenditures
of the funds.
We should not lose sight of the fact
that it is in this country that we make
our money. It becomes, therefore, our
duty to take interest in the affairs of
the country not in words but in deeds.
Americans contribute large sums of
money to their political parties, as well
as to causes of philanthropy, education,
civic improvement and others. We
should emulate their example and not
confine our support to sectarian quarrels. We should now turn a leaf in our
ledger and enter substantial contributions to something constructive.
Al Hoda N. Y., Sept. 18, 1928
BROTHERS OR JUST NEIGHBORS
What can be harsher on the hearing
than to have the same people designated at different times as Syrians,
Lebanese or Palestinians? Imagine
the feelings of true patriots when they
read in their papers such terms as
"our Lebanese neighbors," and in the
Lebanese papers similar terms applied
to the Syrians?
History of comparatively recent
years furnishes us with a parallel to
the Syrian situation in the case of Alsace and Lorraine. These true sons
of France were stanch in their loyalty
to their mother country in spite of the
fact of their complete separation from
it. And Alsace and Lorraine are not
�I-
48
as much a part of France as Lebanon
and Palestine are of Syria. Why then
should there be such stress on the point
that the different parts of Syria have
now become totally foreign to one another!
We maintain that political divisions
should not make us lose sight of the
fact that we are still, and shall ever
remain, one and an indivisible nation.
Whether we be of Syria, Palestine or
Lebanon, we remain brothers in language, in blood, in traditions and customs, and in the singleness of country.
Religions should not constitute a barrier against our union. From time immemorial, Syria was known to comprise its three principal component
parts, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.
Thus it should remain for eternity.
—Meraat-Ul-Gharb, K. Y., Sept. 17,
I
I
I I —^M« —
THE SYRIAN WORLD
nation which seems to have effected a
complete separation between church and
state is France. In French home politics religious matters are not taken in
consideration. This prompts us to ask
why should France countenance abroad
policies it does not tolerate at
hornet To our mind France should
deem it its duty to join hands with Lebanese liberals in eradicating religious
influence from the politics of the country. France having been given a mandate over the country to guide it in
more advanced principles of government, should take the initiative in such
matters and apply to mandated countries the principles which guide its policies at home.
—Ash-Shaab, Sept. 21, 1928.
WHY THE SYRIAN
REVOLUTION FAILED
RELIGION IN GOVERNMENT
Judging by recent reports from
Lebanon, the present Ministry is formed on religious lines in an effort to
please the different denominations. Of
course, only the principal denominations could be represented, there being
only five ministerial posts, otherwise it
would be necessary to create posts for
at least fifteen ministers in order to
satisfy all.
These religious considerations have
for long been the bane of the Lebanese
in their governmental affairs. Still we
find that such conditions are prevalent
in almost every country of the world
except France. Even here in the United
States religion plays a part in politics
to a certain extent, otherwise why
should Governor Smith be opposed on
the grounds of his religious belief. Do
we not find many here in America who
believe that the Presidency should be
the monopoly of the Protestants?
Under scrutiny, we find that the only
We cannot ascribe the failure of the
Syrian revolution to any cause other
than that of the fanaticism, selfishness
and perfidy of its instigators. Had it
not been for the introduction of corrupt influences into it, such as that of
Emir Shekib Arslan, the revolution
would have followed a sane course and
evaded those excesses which stigmatized it as a campaign of fanaticism
and revenge.
Nothing can be more noble than rebellion against an usurping foreigner
in an effort to win one's freedom and
independence. Who is it that sees a
valiant nation struggling for its freedom and can refrain from admiring its
efforts and giving it his earnest wishes
for success? But a revolution that is
perverted in its object, and aimed at
base revenge in the guise of a lofty
ideal, can but deserve the condemnation
of fair-minded people.
A little over a year ago the real designs of the instigators of the Syrian
�49
OCTOBER, 1928
revolution began to be revealed when
the defeat of the military forces gave
rise to serious differences among the
leaders, disclosing the existence of a
rotten state of deceit and corruption.
The party was split into two facions,
one siding with Lutfallah, Shahbandar
and other prominent figures in the Nationalist ranks, and the other supporting Emir Shekib Arslan. We can better judge the real motives of Emir
Shekib and his clan by what has come
to our knowledge lately of the designs
of these pseudo patriots. This we learn
indirectly from the disclosures of a
Trans Jordanian paper, Al-Arab, which
takes exception to the meddling of Emir
Arslan in the affairs of Transjordania. The paper being a Moslem organ,
it3 statements should be considered of
more than ordinary significance.
The substance of the accusations directed at Emir Shekib Arslan by AlArab is that he is a political opportunist and profiteer. It is only necessary
to scan his record, the paper says, to
discover that he was pro-Turk when the
Turks were in power. Then he claimed
solicitude for the welfare of the Syrian
nation when he saw in such shifting of
policy an opportunity for personal gain.
Now he is anxious to bring about an
Arab union after having exhausted the
resources of the Syrian cause. This
Emir has already spent years in Europe doing apparently nothing but engaging in politics. Where, the paper
asks, has he been getting all the money
necessary for his extensive travels and
luxurious maintenance! "We know
that he has no personal income sufficient to maintain him in this state. The
only inference we can draw from his
present move for dragging Trans jordania into his scheme of a Pan-Arabic
movement is that he has exhausted all
other means of political acrobatics and
is now looking to fatten himself at our
expense.''
These remarks by a Moslem paper
give us the true inside story of the designs behind the Syrian revolution. We
now have proof that this Emir and his
accomplices are responsible not only
for the blood shed during the Syrian
revolution but for all the Syrian and
Lebanese blood of the martyrs which
Jamal Pasha the Turk caused to be
shed during the World War.
—Syrian Eagle, N. Y., Sept. 25, 1928.
RIGHTS OF THE WEAK
Nothing can be further from the
truth than the assertions of some Palestinian papers that Syria is committing a mistake by undertaking to win
from France concessions by force.
These would-be advisers would have us
believe that nowhere in history did a
weak nation ever win its rights from
the strong.
In refutation of such reasoning we
need only to state that Syria could
never entertain the hope of coming into
its proper rights had she remained in a
passive state. We find, however, that
once she took up arms the "strong"
came to concede to her a good deal more
than what he was willing to do before.
Syria may not be able to achieve victory in an armed contest, but she can
prove that she is not a nation of weaklings who submit to every form of usurpation and injustice without protest.
We must concede that there is such a
thing as right even for the weak.
—Al-Bayan, N. Y., Sept. 18, 1928.
PRIDE IN ORIGIN
Many are they among our Americanborn youth who either do not know anything about their country of origin or
conceive it in the manner it is described to them by Western writers who
only touch the surface and distort the
facts. A foreign writer who would visit
�50
the country for a few days thinks himself justified in writing volumes about
the country on the strength of this short
visit. The inevitable consequence is
that he makes a strange mixture of fact
and fancy and often judges the whole
nation by sporadic incidents which he
would have had with some irresponsible
vagrants.
1
It becomes necessary, under the circumstances, that our children be given
the opportunity to learn the true facts
about the mother country of their parents; that they be acquainted with its
customs and traditions and given authentic accounts of its developments.
Once they know their country of origin in its true conditions, they would
entertain no further hesitancy about
proclaiming their origin among Americans and persons of other nationalities.
—Leesan Al Adl, Detroit, Sept. 21,
LEBANON NOT FOR SALE
Many times before, the statement
that "Lebanon is not for sale, nor is
it subject to barter," was made orally
and in print, but was taken as a matter
of policy on the part of those opposing
the candidacy of Emir Lutfallah to the
Presidency of the Lebanese Eepublic.
Now, however,these words have taken
on a new meaning and are being
echoed with accumulating force among
the Lebanese scattered in all parts of
the world. For since Bishop Ignatius
Mubarak of Beyrouth made the formal
charge that Emir George Lutfallah had
sent his emissaries to Lebanon in an
effort to win the Presidency of Lebanon, and that he was using corrupt
methods of bribing officials and newspapers, a veritable storm of protest has
been raised against these designs. For
this reason, the reiteration by the Bishop of the statement that Lebanon is
not for sale assumes a more significant
meaning. It is now bound to crystallize public opinion in Lebanon against
THE SYRIAN WORLD
the agents of this ambitious foreigner.
We are in possession of evidence that
an agent of Emir Lutfallah approached
Bishop Mubarak with an offer of
£10,000 to gain the latter's support for
the ambitions of the Emir, but the
bishop showed his indignaion by ordering the agent from his presence summarily.
Al-Hoda is ready to prove that Emir
Lutfallah has accomplices even among
the clergy and govermnment officials.
We thank God, however, that Bishop
Mubarak, with the approval of the Patriarch, has declared publicly against
such designs against the honor of
Lebanon.
—Al-Hoda, N. Y., Sept. 26, 1928.
ADVICE TO PARENTS
Syrian parents can never force on
their children the love of Syria to the
same degree that they themselves love
their mother country. The children look
upon America as their mother country
and their greatest measure of love
goes to it first. What the Syrian
father can do, however, is to instill in
his child sympathy for the native country of his ancestors and teach him of
its history that which will inspire pride
and a sense of appreciation of his ancestral heritage.
A fact which parents should realize
is that they cannot mould their offspring into so-called 100 per cent Syrians. It is impossible to make the
American-born love the songs and customs and traditions of a country of
which he knows absolutely nothing and
which he has never seen. Any such attempt on the part of the parents is
predestined to failure, which it rightly
deserves, because it could have no other
result than to create a state of indecision in the mind of the ehUd and lessen
his chances of success in the struggle
of life.
—As-Sayeh, N. Y., Sept. 22, 1928.
�——.
OCTOBER, 1928
51
Readers' Forum
Editor's Note.—The Syrian World is gratified to witness the growing
interest on the part of the Syrian-American generation in matters affecting
their racial standing and welfare in the United States. This evidence of
racial consciousness in a constructive form testifies to the latent vital powers
that could be moulded into an efficient medium for the good of both the
race and the country in general with the proper organization. We wish to
assure correspondents and others of like mind that this publication considers
it a privilege to lend its efforts to such a worthy task. We would call attention to the fact that such a movement seems to have been brewing for some
time, taking the shape of either a convention or the formation of new societies or clubs in different sections of the Union. Such a suggestion as that
contained in the three communications published in this issue of the Syrian
World has been advanced by the "Good Fellows Club" of Tyler, Texas, as
far back as May, 1927. Later we saw the idea taking more tangible form by
the calling of a regional convention of the Syrian-American societies of New
England held in Pittsfield, Mass., the early part of May. 1928. What is
worthy of especial notice is the formation of many new clubs in widely
scattered sections under the general name of Phoenicians. To all these
Syrian-American societies of whatever name or designation we extend
hearty good wishes for success coupled with an earnest promise to lend
every assistance possible in the way of promoting a plan for a fusion into
a national organization. We shall take up the discussion of this subject
more at length at a future date.
Following are three communications on the same topic received by the
Syrian World from widely distant cities almost on the same day, indicating the maturity of thought and the readiness for action in a national movement.
A NATIONAL FEDERATION
OF SYRIAN SOCIETIES
Growing Interest in a Movement to
Consolidate Syrian-American
Organizations
Editor "The Syrian World":
In honorable memory of that progressive, intrepid, and world renowned people whom we are proud to call
our forbears, a club composed of Syrian young men of this city has recently been formed. To call it purely a social organizaton would be to
limit unduly its proper scope of activities, for we have hopes of engaging
in really serious tasks and endeavors, one of which shall be to keep
abreast with, and to discuss social
and political questions affecting our
ancient country. This is not the first
organization of young Syrians formed in this city, but we hopefully trust
that this will entrench itself so securely in the life of this community
that there will be no occasion for any
subsequent formation of a similar organization. Of course there are in
this city other Syrian organizations,
notably, the Syrian-American Club
�——
52
and the Syrian Ladies' Charitable Society, but these are for the older Syrians and our society is intended to
encompass the younger and more pliable element.
Throughout the whole country it is
this element that is more enthusiastic, more imbued with progressive
thought, and nearer to the vanguard
of modern American life. They are
the true Syrian-Americans. However, it is probably safe to say that
the majority of them have never even
glimpsed the Fatherland on the Mediterranean shores, and it is a sad fact
that they know very little of their
own race, its history, its heritage,
their language, and the incline of
their race's destiny. The majority
are Syrians only in blood. The language of their fathers they know
only by name, with the consequent
loss of all the literary, philosophical,
religious and—yes, even scientific,
wealth that has gilded the hoary path
of our race's progress from Tyre and
Sidon's magnificent era to the present day. Far more serious than all
of that is the manifest lack of interest to inquire and learn. Even the
momentous events now taking place
in Syria when the future political
status of that country is being
shaped and determined excite but a
lukewarm curiosity, if indeed that.
This is unquestionably a serious situation. Doubtless it was for the
purpose of arousing interest in this
younger generation by supplying information on Syria's people, history
and contemporary events that your
most excellent and highly instructive publication was given to the
Syrian-American world. But I have
observed that even you were somewhat discouraged when such an interesting debate as that of the advisability of teaching Arabic to the
young generation, recently carried
THE SYRIAN WORLD
on in your columns, brought forth
such pitifully meagre response from
that very portion of our population
for whose benefit it was intended.
While undoubtedly a number of
causes have contributed to this regrettable condition of apathy and indifference, in my judgment one of
the major factors in the situation is
the fact often before referred to, that
our handful of Syrians, scattered
throughout 48 large states, are engulfed and lost in their environment.
They are almost completely absorbed
in the irresistble American tide. All
the major problems that affect them
issue out of, and are concerned with,
that environment. Their feeling towards Syria and the Syrian people
and events becomes simply a matter
of occasional mental speculation
when leisure permits, and those must
always give way to the practical
problems which confront them daily.
The result is a dying class or race
consciousness, and when that occurs
you cannot any longer wonder why
young Syrians do not appear to have
any interest in "their country" thousands of miles away.
Of course merely stating the obvious facts does not help the situation. Personally I doubt whether
there is or can be any effective remedy. One would have to assume that
one had absolute control over the
lives of 255,000 people which is beyond the pale of reason. But there
are, I tbink, certain alleviating remedies,—remedies which, while not
effecting a complete solidification,
tend to excite and prolong the desired spark of interest in Syrian affairs. I am speaking now of course
with reference to the young Syrian
population only. Your splendid journal is undoubtedly one such remedy.
I suggest another, namely, the formation of a national young Syrian
i
�mmm
OCTOBER, 1928
53
organization. In almost every city should still be to the contrary I offer
of any size there are young Syrian a compromise. Let the various Syrsocieties. But their local character ian clubs now existing throughout
is their principal weakness. They are the country correspond with one ancompletely out of touch with other other, with a view to reaching a comsocieties sharing with them a com- mon understanding and promoting
mon heritage. Usually after a little interest in Syrian affairs. The names
flourish they die, only to be supplant- of these various organizations will
ed by another equally weak and 'have to be known, and perhaps the
equally purposeless association. Can best way of obtaining a complete diwe not get these different Syrian rectory would be by having all the
clubs into one embracing society, clubs send in their names and adhaving the purpose not only of bring- dresses to you for publication.
To me, Sir, it seems that any of
ing into intimate and wholesome conthese
plans should effect to a degree,
tact the great number of our Syrian
at
least,
that race consciousness
young men and so impress each one
which
is
the
source of all interest
of the existence of the others, but
also of promoting periodical discus- and pride in our cultural heritage.
Of course I have not the space to
sion of contemporary Syrian events ?
Can we not have representatives elaborate more fully upon the sugfrom the various communities meet gestions. Of necessity they must
yearly to exchange ideas and pro- be but a skeleton outline. But it is
pose constructive policies? There my earnest hope that they will proare, I am sure, in our number many voke a keen and lively discussion.
bright, educated, and cultured young My club would be most pleased to
men who can and will afford compe- hear from the various organizations
tent leadership and contribute many with reference to this matter, and if
from out of the dust there should
helpful suggestions for the success
emerge
the national or sectional orof the project. It may be deemed
ganization,
or even the inauguration
advisable upon grounds of expeof
the
free
and continuous exchange
diency to begin with sectional socieof
ideas,
comments,
and hopes reties, as an Eastern, a Western, a
ferred
to
above,
I,
for
one, would feel
Northern, and Southern Syrian Club,
that
something
substantial
had been
although, in my judgment such an
done
towards
that
ideal
of
energetic
arrangement should be only tempointerest in Syrian affairs so earnestly
rary.
Some I know will be found who will desired by all, as well as the inward
object to the practicability of such realization of the profound signifia suggestion. I myself can see some cance of "The Phoenician's" beloved
objections, but I believe they are no motto, "Sail On."
FRED S. RIZK.
more difficult to overcome than those
Jacksonville,
Fla.
that have in the beginning confronted now flourishing national organizations. I appreciate it will require SYRIAN SOCIETY
INVITES COOPERATION
hard work, but I also realize that
the plan is possible of execution, and Editor, Syrian World:
The Syrian Young Men's Society
the results should be worth many
of
Los Angeles, Calif., is an organitimes the labor expended.
sation
composed of Syrian young
If, however, "public opinion'
�54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
men only, whose purpose is to promote fraternal cooperation among
its members with the view of advancing the social, intellectual and
spiritual welfare of the Syrian youth
of Los Angeles.
Correspondence from any similar
organization anywhere is cheerfully
invited. We believe an exchange of
ideas will be helpful in promoting such
plans as will create nation-wide interest in the general welfare of the
race.
Correspondence may be addressed
to the Secretary at 3800 Oakwood
Ave., Los Angeles.
DAVIS ZAIL, Secretary.
Los Angeles, Calif.
SOCIETY OF PHOENICIANS
Editor, the Syrian World:
The young Syrian element in Lansing, Mich., has organized a club
known as the "Young Phoenican's So-
ciety" whose purpose is to arouse
interest among the Syrian youth in
their racial affairs and work towards providing means of a better
understanding by Americans of Syrian descent of their ancestral background.
We know that several clubs of this
general purpose has been organized
throughout the country. We are
anxious to get in direct touch with
such organizations in the hope that
some cooperative plan of action could
be agreed upon with a view to calling
a national convention in the near future.
We feel confident the Syrian World
will approve of this move and lend
its support to its materialization.
Correspondence is invited to our address, 609 N. Grand Ave., Lansing,
Mich.
RUBY NAKFOTJB, Secy.
Lansing, Mich.
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE
COUNT PHILIP TERRAZI—Noted scholar, curator of the National
Museum at Beyrouth.
AMEEN RIHANI—Internationally known scholar and traveler.
Author of "Maker of Modem Arabia" and of many other works
of poetry and prose.
DR. PHILIP K. HITTI — Historian, scholar and Arabic and English author. Formerly professor at the American University
of Beirut and now of Princeton University.
KAHLIL GIBRAN — Author of The Prophet and other celebrated
works and styled by American writers Poet of the Cedars and
The Syrian Poet.
DR. N. A. KATIBAH — Arabic and English poet and scholar.
Professionally a dentist of Brooklyn. One of our regular contributors.
DR. M. SHADID—Syrian physician in Elk City, Okla., and prominent member of the Socialist Party.
DR. NAJLA M. LAF LOOFY—The first and only Syrian woman
physician in New York and member of many literary societies.
AREPH EL KHOURY—A young Syrian residing in Welch, W. Va.
MITCHELL FERRIS—An American-born Syrian residing in Lincoln, Neb.
A. HAKIM — Pen name of an old Syrian immigrant who is contributing to The Syrian World a special series of critical studies
i
Wlllil i
�OCTOBER, 1928
55
Political Developments in Syria
Judging from the accounts of the is agreed, was the best loved in the
Syrian press, nothing seems to be country and the most successful in
certain in the Syrian situation except his administration. Other rumors
the determination of the National- would 'have us believe that M. de
ists to press the issue of the coun- Jouvenel is slated for reappointment,
try's independence to a definite con- but in refutation of such a possibilclusion. The arguments advanced by ity it is stated that if a change is
the High Commissioner and elaborat- to be effected at all it would be for
ed by the French press appear not to the simple reason of appointing a
have the slightest effect on the deter- military man as a matter of general
mination of the Syrians. The Na- policy in view of the fact that both
tionalist party may be said to have civilian appointees have so far proved
achieved complete mastery over the failures.
In support of such views, some
internal situation and is in a posiFrench
papers lament the frequent
tion to claim the uncontested reprechanges
in the administrative persentation of the will of the nation.
Ponsot
left
sonnel
in
Syria and ascribe it to unHigh Commissioner
Upon
justified
home
politics. Now that
Syria at the end of August
France
has
had
occasion to feel the
his arrival in France he is said to
great
loss,
both
in finances and in
have immediately retired to his counprestige,
resulting
from such policy,
try estate for a fortnight's rest ana
it
is
hoped
that
an
appointment will
seclusion. Later, naturally, he will
be
made
that
will
insure
bringing orreturn to Paris to take up with the
cabinet discussion of Syrian affairs. der to the country under mandate and
No definite time is set for his re- peace of mind to the Mandatory
turn to his post. In fact, there are Power.
It is the fear of such a change,
strong rumors that he may not return at all and that Premier Pom- perhaps, which makes the Syrians
care has already decided on his suc- anxious for the return of M. Ponsot
cessor. It is claimed that Poincare to his post. They have become tired
was never in favor of the appoint- of the frequent changes resulting in
ment of Ponsot to the exacting post continual delay in coming to an uno£ High Commissioner for Syria be- derstanding with France on the pocause he believed the situation re- litical status of the country. If a
quired the firmness of a military new High Commissioner is appointed,
man. He only acceded in the ap- they argue, it would take him just
pointment as a concession to his op- as long to study the situation as it
ponents and in the interest of har- took the present incumbent, and he
mony in the Cabinet. Now that he is may expect no better success, as the
Syrians, judging by their present
sure of his hand, he is said to have
frame
of mind, are determined to
decided on carrying out his old destand
by
their demands to the last.
termination and to be considering
"What
the
Syrians are willing to
for reappointment Gen. Weygancl,
concede
is
to
enter into a treaty with
a former High Commissioner who, it
�-*-'
56
France which they claim will give
the latter more privileges than she
now enjoys as a mandatory power.
According to recent statements by
their leaders, they do not recognize
the right of the League of Nations
to appoint a guardian over them
when they are fully competent to
look after their own affairs. It is
simple elementary justice which they
claim is their natural right.
On the eve of M. Ponsot's departure from Syria he was in numerous
conferences not only with Sheikh
Tajjeddin, head of the provisional
government and advocate of a policy
of amicable understanding with the
French, but with many prominent
leaders of the irreconcilables among
the Nationalists. It is the opinion of
some observers that M. Ponsot enjoys the confidence of the Nationalists to no little degree, because of
the latter's belief that he is in sympathy with their demands, having
proven his solicitude for their cause
by pursuing throughout the two
years of his tenure of office a policy
of conciliation and understanding. It
is even intimated that M. Ponsot,
sensing the possibility of his recall
upon his return to Paris, has placated the Syrian Nationalists and received from them a promise to defend his policy as being the most
promising of ultimate understanding
with the Syrians. The Nationalist
leaders with whom he was in conference before departing from Syria
are said to be the prospective members of the commission which the Nationalist Party contemplates sending
to Paris to take up with the French
government discussion of the Syrian
problem.
Damascus is quiet pending developments in the political situation.
Heated controversies among local pa-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
pers lead to physical attacks against
some editors. An important political
gathering took place in Aleppo and
was attended by the principal Nationalist leaders who reiterated their
determination to stand by their demands.
What is claimed by some Syrian
authorities to be the real reason for
France's objection to the six articles
of the proposed Constitution is Britain's representation that such a policy of leniency followed by France
in Syria is bound to lead to similar
demands on the part of the Arabs
under British mandate. In support
of this contention the case of Transjordania is cited as being more or
less the direct result of France's toleration of the Syrian Nationalist
agitation. England is reported to
have also warned France of giving
the Syrians undue liberties, citing
her own troubles resulting from similar conditions in Egypc.
Official denial was made of the rumors which were circulated in Palestine and abroad to the effect that
serious disturbances had taken place
in Damascus and that Sultan Pasha
Atrash was ready to take the field
in response to the demand of the
Syrian Nationalists. The official
statement declares that Damascus
remained absolutely quiet following
the suspension of the Constituent
Assembly.
SITUATION IN LEBANON
Following the installation of the
new Ministry, denominational representation again came to the fore as
the main issue in Lebanese politic?.
Because of the claim by the Orthodox that they were not adequately
represented, the Patriarch of this
faith called a council of notables
�57
UCTOBER, 1928
to discuss the situation and demand
proper representation. The President of the Republic being himself
of the Orthodox faith, he is reported to have endeavored to smooth
matters over on these grounds.
Apologists for the change in the form
of government maintain that such
disturbances may be expected in the
beginning, but that once the ministry is permitted to function material
improvement may be expected in the
administrative machinery.
The new Ministry is headed by
Habeeb Pasha Saad (Maronite), a
veteran statesman who was for several terms President of the Administrative Council of Lebanon previous to the World War. His associates are Hussein El-Ahdab( Moslem Sunnite), Subhi Bey Haidar
(Moslem Shiite), Moussa Bey Nammour (Maronite), and Shukri Kirdahy (Melchite Catholic).
About Syria and Syrians
SYRIAN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
At no time before have the Syrians displayed so much interest in
national politics as they are showing
in the present Presidential campaign.
The Syrian papers of New York,
which, by the way, all command a
national circulation, are giving much
space to news and views of both
political parties. Organized action,
however, seems to be confined so far
to Syrian Democrats. Later, perhaps, the Syrian Republicans will
make themselves heard.
A Syrian Democratic National
Committee has been formed under
the chairmanship of A. K. Hitti. Joseph W. Ferris, President of the
American Syrian Federation, writes
to inform us that a Syrian "Smith
for President Club," national in
scope, has been formed with headquarters in New York. Joseph Mandour, President of the Lebanon National Bank, has been interviewed by
upper New York State papers on his
political views and declared himself
strongly for Governor Smith prin-
cipally on the Prohibition issue. Mr.
Mandour's opinions and an interesting account of his rapid rise in the
business world are published in a
recent issue of The American Banker.
Two gatherings of Syrians in Connecticut on Sept. 3 were the occasion
for much political discussion, while
the American Syrian Federation of
Brooklyn has called a political mass
meeting for the week of Oct. 8 and
announced a debate between some of
its members of different political beliefs.
SYRIANS AID IN RELIEF
All the Syrian papers of New York
urged their readers to contribute
to the relief of the cyclone sufferers
of Porto Rico and Florida. Archbishop Abu Assaly of the Orthodox
Church issued a public appeal in behalf of the victims. All the Syrian
churches took up special collections
and announced substantial results.
�58
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ANOTHER EXPERIMENT
WITH ENGLISH PAGE
Leesan Al-Adl, an Arabic-language
semi-weekly paper of Detroit, Mich.,
has embarked on the experiment of
publishing a weekly page in English.
Leesan Al-Adl is of pronounced Lebanese tendencies, and its declaration of
purpose in undertaking the venture
states
that
American-born
Lebanese
are prone to deny their racial origin
for no reason other than they are ignorant of their splendid legacy which
is unparalleled in history. The paper
also proposes to acquaint its readers of
the younger generation with current
developments of the native country of
their parents with a view to arousing
their interest in its welfare.
So far, two specimen pages of this
enterprising Lebanese paper have come
to our notice. In one instance the paper dealt with some political developments in Lebanon supplemented by bits
of local news. In the second instance
nine-tenths of the page consisted of reprints from the American press of the
answers of Governor Alfred E. Smith
to questions on political topics put to
him on his Western tour.
WILLS MILLIONS
TO NATIVE TOWN
Morris Schinasi, who died in New
York on September 18 leaving a fortune estimated at over $5,000,000, willed $300,000 to local charities and $1,000,000 for the erection and maintenance of a hospital in his native town
of Magnesie in the interior of Asia
Minor, about fifty miles from Smyrna.
The residuary estate is divided between
the widow and three daughters.
Mr. Schinasi may be remembered
a3 the manufacturer of several popular
brands of Turkish cigarettes. He was
well known to the Syrians of New
York and may be said to have started
his cigarette business among them.
Old timers among New York Syrians
recall that in his struggling days his
regular haunts were the Syrian restaurants in Washington St., where he
made desperate efforts to introduce his
cigarette brands. There are many
who claim that the Syrians were the
ones to have practically started him
in business.
Even after Mr. Schinasi had won his
fortune, some old Syrian friends were
among his most intimate associates.
His case is but another illustration of
opportunities for success in America
brought eloser home to us.
This venture of the Lebanese paper
of Detroit marks the second attempt by
an Arabic-language newspaper in the
United States to eater to the younger
generation of Syrians and Lebanese
NOTICE
through the medium of the English lanMuch material of interest had to
guage. The first was inaugurated by a
New York newspaper and was disconbe omitted in this issue due to lack
tinued after a run of about two months.
It is hoped this second attempt will
of space. In the November issue of
not only enjoy a longer lease of life,
but will continue to improve in both The Syrian World, however, proviits literary quality and in the choice of sion will be made to give adequate
its subject matter so that it may refleet in a fitting manner the cultural space for news about Syria and Syrstandard of our race.
ians.
,.-...
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
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Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
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New York Public Library
Publisher
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
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1926-1935
Relation
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<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
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English
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
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NS 0002
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
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TSW1928_10reducedWM
Title
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The Syrian World Volume 03, Issue 04
Date
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1928 October
Description
An account of the resource
Vol 3. Issue 04 of The Syrian World published October 1928. The issue begins with a continuation of Count Philip Terrazi's article discussing the Beyrouth Museum. He begins by talking about the collection of Southern Lebanese pottery that would have been handmade, some of which were made at the end of the Chalcolithic period. Terrazi continues by discussing sarcophagi and metal items like weapons and jewelry contained within the museum. Next is a long poem titled "O Freedom" by Ameen Rihani. Following it is a continuation of "The Sage of Washington Street - On Divided Loyalty" by A. Hakim. Another of Kahlil Gibran's short stories is included next
titled "The Plutocrat," it seems to detail themes of greed. Next is continuation of Philip K. Hitti's discussion of Usamah an Arab warrior of the crusades, and a translation of Al-Farid's "Wine Lyric." There is a follow up to "Syria for the Syrians" by Dr. M. Shadid, as it "stirred up discussion" in the February Issue. Areph El-Khoury's "The Bride of the Brave," a discussion on chivalrous marriage customs in Syria, is featured next. The final article discusses Palestine's economic readjustment following the crisis of 1925. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press, the reader's forum, and political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
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English
Creator
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
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New York Public Library
Publisher
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
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Text/pdf
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Text
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Palestine
Philip Khuri Hitti
Syria
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/c494396c71bcee619dc946a6066e6e67.pdf
30199227a369b646191d1fa26e74fd1c
PDF Text
Text
��—
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
No. 9.
MARCH, 1928.
I
CONTENTS
PAGE
Gods, Jinn and a Hall of Fame
3
AMEEN RIHANI
The Perfect Brother
8
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Development of Dairy Farming in Syria and Lebanon
9
GEORGE KNAYSI
Said a Blade of Grass
11
G. K. GlBRAN
Recent Developments in Palestine
12
To a Female Cup-Bearer (Poem)
J. D. CARLYLE
17
�CONTENTS
(Continued)
PAGE
Syrian Naturalization Question in the United States
JOSEPH W. FERRIS
18
The Ameer and the Palace Maid (Poem)
DR. N. A. KATIBAH
24
The Meeting (Short Story)
25
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Arab Proverbs
34
The Clemency of Mu(awiyah
35
Notes and Comments — By
39
THE EDITOR
Spirit of the Syrian Press
43
About Syria and Syrians
48
Political Developments in Syria
56
* «B» »
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Jaffa, Principal Port of Palestine
Tel Aviv, Palestine
The Plain of Al-Bekaa, Lebanon
Costes and Lebrix among Friends
�THE
SYRIAN WORLD
.»
I
I
VOL. II.
MARCH, 1928.
No. 9.
Gods, Jinn and a Hall of Fame
Jt Study in the Traditions of the Arabs and Their Mythology
By AMEEN RIHANI
of pre-Islamic Arabia is in keeping with
the temper of its soil, the history of its land, and the romantic
spirit of its people. The invisible world, described in the Arabian
Nights, is reflected in the visible forces of nature, which, to a
desert dweller, are as real in their supernatural attributes as the
weal and woe he experiences under them. The simoom is the
smokeless fire of which the Jinn are born; the columns of sand,
rising and whirling in the shimmering spaces, are the ghosts of
Afrits and Ghouls; the mirage is the sardonic laugh of Iblis;
the oasis is the verdant and bounteous hand of some otherwise
invisible deity; the well or spring in the trackless waste flows
direct from the streams of Paradise; a necropolis, fancied to
have been once the city of a mighty tribe, is transformed into a
habitation of evil giants; the subterranean channels found in AlYaman, which were constructed by one of the extinct civilized
nations of antiquity, are represented in Arabic lore as the underground ways leading to the palace of one of the sovereigns of
the Jinn.
Thus the mythology of pre-Islamic Arabia evolved. Every manifestation of nature had a tribe of spirits, the Jinn, behind it, animating it, urging it forth, giving it destructive or
creative power. Whatever they could not fathom or explain
was a token of the spirits or a guide-post to their land. In pagan
times the Jinn were everywhere. A bedouin once found them
THE MYTHOLOGY
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
in his porridge and took a solemn oath never again to taste of
liquid food. King Solomon, as we shall see, had a deal of trouble
with them. Unlike Arab authors, however, I shall endeavor to
maintain a little chronological order. Later then about King
Solomon.
The gods of Arabia in the days of the Jinn were continually increasing in number; for over each tribe of spirits ruled a
deity, who was not always on good terms with the kings of the
land. They even fought for independence. Hence, the wars
and the treaties of peace with them, which are recorded faithfully and solemnly by the Arab historian. Hence, too, the crowded condition of the Kaaba, which was a kind of divine hall of
fame before the advent of the Prophet. For they were always
adding to their idols, the Arabs, in self-defense or as a means
of further protection; and when they could not conquer in battle a certain Jinn nation, they would get around its supreme ruler
diplomatically and offer him a niche in their hall of fame. Every Arab tribe, in fact, aspired to a place in the Kaaba for its
god or gods. But many of these, be it said to their credit, were
excluded because they were either commonplace local deities or
mere symbols of lust and plunder. Nevertheless, their votaries
argued and fought for their recognition.
Nor does it seem that they were jealous of each other, these
gods. There were no Jehovas or Allahs among them. More
laudable than this divine tolerance, however, was the staunch
fidelity of the Arabs themselves, who were always faithful to
their alliances as well as to the gods of their allies. A delegation of one of the tribes once came to Mecca, walked into the
Kaaba, and took its terra-cotta god away, because the god of their
friendly neighbors was excluded. The Sheikh of another tribe
was once asked what he worshipped. "A god made of dates
dipped in sugar and honey," he replied; "and sometimes we eat
him and make another." Strange that such a god was not more
popular; for the Arab was given a sweet, a very sweet tooth, to
compensate, I suppose, for his bitter tongue. He is as much at
home in a pastry shop as in a quarrel. Although he loves his
smoke, too, and his coffee. I do not remember having ever read
(
of any one in the Divine Conclave of the Kaaba that included
the famous herb and bean, or anything similar to them, in his
scheme of eternal bliss.
But there still remains, in spite of Wahhabism, something
�MHBMI
_
MARCH, 1928
5
of the pagan in the; Arab of to-day—the Arab of the desert who
anticipates a good and generous host in Allah. For is he not a
sort of Super-Sheikh with an inexhaustible supply of tobacco
and coffee and sweetmeats? Of what worth his heaven, if he.
were not? It is the bedouin's boast that if he find no coffee and
sweetmeats, at least, in heaven, when he gets there, he would
leave it anon.
The pre-Islamic Arabs were avowedly pagan and often
grossly material. One of their mighty kings was once warned
by a prophet who preached the doctrine of monotheism, praised
Allah the one and only god, in whose paradise flowed streams
of milk and honey and wine. But the unrepenting and blaspheming Shaddad ibn 'Aad disdained the warnings of the prophet. Apparently, he was on good terms with the Jinn- for he
summoned them to build for him a terrestrial paradise, which
should surpass in magnificence and splendor any paradise to
come. The Jinn obeyed} but Shaddad ibn 'Aad did not live
to enjoy the enchanted fruits of their labor.
The invisible spirit-world was indeed as real, as palpable
to the pagans of Arabia as the visible and material} for in their
legendary history, as later in the Arabian Nights, many wars
with the Jinn are chronicled,—the battles are graphically described. Gradually, half of them were conquered, and they
fought with the Arabs as their allies against the other half.
Hence, the good and the evil Jinn we meet with in legend and
tale and creed—in the chronicles, in the Nights, and in the Koran.
Hence, too, the great service they render to the mighty and wise
of the sovereigns of the world. Sometimes they make a mistake, as in the case of King Shaddad, and regret it. But King
Solomon, uour Lord Sulaiman", was the greatest and wisest of
their masters. He was their patron and their friend. For him,
the good Jinn, by the command of Allah, built the temples of
Syria and the palaces of Al-Yaman. Following is the testimony
of the Koran: (1)
1
!
"And unto Solomon," (Allah is speaking to the
Prophet Muhammad) "did we subject the wind, which
travelled in the morning a month's journey, and a
month's journey in the evening; and we caused a fountain of molten brass to flow for him. And of the Jinn
(1) Surat Saba (Chapter XXXIV). — Rodwell's Translation.
�6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
were some who worked in his presence by the will of
his Lord
They made for him whatever he pleased
of private chambers, and images, and dishes large as
tanks, and cooking pots that stood firmly."
The fountain of molten brass herein mentioned was built
for King Solomon in the desert,—was carried there, in fact, by
the Jinn. This is corroborated in the Muhammedan Traditions,
or Commentaries of the Koran. The Jinn, say the Commentators, having transported the fountain to the desert beyond the
city named Andalus (Andalusia)—their geographical knowledge
is amazing—built there a great city twelve miles in length and
twelve in breadth around the fountain. Later, one of the Khalifs of Damascus, who must have doubted the words of the corroborating witnesses or suspected them of exaggeration, sent one
of his generals, Musa ibn Nusair, on an archaeological expedition. Musa's report is recorded in the Arabian Nights. That
city in the Sahara is called the City of Brass, and the Commentators did not misrepresent the truth or exaggerate it. Indeed,
Musa returned to the Omaiyad Khalif with material for a most
thrilling story, as well as the material evidence of that enchanted land. He brought back with him a specimen of the bottled
Jinn of King Solomon and mermaids which were preserved, he
tells us, in wooden tanks.
This then is atmosphere and flavor of pre-Islamic Arabic
mythology. It is difficult to see how it can be of either Persian
or Indian origin, as some Orientalists maintain. That it is indigenous is, on the contrary, quite obvious. I have dwelled
briefly on the subject, therefore, only to emphasize the fact that
the mythology of The Nights is the very soul of illusion incarnate in the living agencies of nature,—of scenes and elements
peculiar to the Peninsula. In it also, to the dreamer of the desert, the grandiose is as common as the sand and the infantile is
as marvelous as the sun.
This attitude towards the miraculous and supernatural, vested as with Teutons in the anthropomorphic, ascribing to it human feelings and passions, is as strong to-day as it was in the
past. For the Arabs, like the Celtic people, have always resisted,
and are still to a certain extent resisting, their times j and even
though they wear themselves out in the defense of desperate
causes, they never yield absolutely to a superior power or understanding. They are, as a race, more assimilative than pliable.
J
�—
2SS2
MARCH, 1928
7
What they yield to the outside world is much less than what
they take from it. Their own customs and traditions, for instance, were as binding wherever Arabic was spoken in the times
of the Prophet as they were in Arabia proper. Even a native
conqueror had to adopt the manners and assimilate to a certain
extent the traditions of the conquered tribe.
Thus, when they resisted the Prophet Muhammad and
finally surrendered to Al-Islam, they brought with them into
the new creed something of their pagan mythology, which the
Prophet had to accept. The maleficent and the beneficent Jinn
were, therefore, designated as believers and unbelievers, that is
half of them was converted to Al-Islam while the other half
remained pagan. They themselves testify to this in the Koran,
which devotes to the subject a whole Chapter entitled the Jinn.
Says the Prophet:
"It has been revealed to me that a company of the
Jinn believed and said: 'Verily, we have heard a marvelous discourse (The Koran). It guideth to the
truth; therefore, we believe it*"
«
I
The faithful Commentators, who have written a Sahara of
books on the Koran and the Traditions (Sayings of the Prophet),
must have had a subtle sense of humor or they deemed it their
business to elucidate and instruct in an entertaining manner. The
Prophet Muhammad, they assure us, met the Jinn in person,
addressed them admonishingly, and offered them the alternative
of either Al-Islam or eternal perdition. They also had a penchant for detail, the Commentators, and not a little appreciation
of local color. They would seem, nevertheless, in this particular instance, accurate in their report; for they set down the time
and place of that historical meeting. Those of the Jinn who
hearkened not to the Prophet, who preferred in their perversity
eternal damnation to a new religion, became enemies of those
who accepted Al-Islam, and civil wars among them ensued. Some
of these wars are recorded in Arab history, as I have remarked,
and chronicled in The Book of a Thousand and One Nights. No
spice of Arabia, no miracle of faith or romance could sweeten
the bitter enmity that existed between the Jinn.
For they were not only human—they were Semitic. Their
serenity in the face of danger, their impetuousness in moments
of security, their ghoulish, unearthly passion, their magnanimity,
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
8
self-restraint and self-sacrifice, all the contrarieties of their nature are quite consistent with the flamboyant spirit of the Arabs,
whose fancy, like their faith, is fed upon rhapsodies. The delicate beauty, the soft shadings which characterize the Celtic romances, for instance, are wanting in the climate of Arabia as in
its Koran, its poetry, and its literature.
Every moment, whether under friendly or unfriendly influences, the Arab lives fully, intensely, religiously. For him,
the elemental value of things is never lost. Everything essential to the daily task must necessarily mean life or death. Hence,
the exaggerated vesture of his thoughts, the poetic magnifications of his soul, the humorous impossibilities of his vision. To
a city dweller, what is a flower, what is a star, what is a cup of
water? But to one who has often thirsted in the arid waste, who
was often swept to the verge of the grave by the desert storm,
the flower, in the sheer ecstasy of discovery, becomes a magnificent garden, the trickling brackish spring a flowing stream of
crystal water, and the twinkling little star a radiant but friendly
sun!
i
;
The Perfect Brother
Translation of
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Once I had a brother in Allah, and what made him great
in my eyes, was the smallness of the world in his eyes. He was
beyond the tyranny of his desire, so much so that he did never
covet that which was beyond his reach j and toward that which
was within his reach he was never avaricious. He blamed no
man, so that he would not have to find excuses if found in a
like situation. He never complained of pain until he was cured.
He did whatever he said, and said not what he would not do.
He was never forced to keep silent, though he might be forced
into speech. His eagerness to hear surpassed his desire to be
heard. When confronted by two opposing motives, he sought
to find which was akin to the lower passions, and that he shunned.
Seek ye these principles , and cling to them, and boast of
themj and if ye should fail, know that to gain only the few
is better than to lose all. — Ali.
er.
�.- -
-,
MARCH, 1928
Development of Dairy Farming
In Syria and Lebanon
By
GEORGE KNAYSI
Instructor of Bacteriology, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.
In a previous article I have discussed in a very general way
the agricultural situation in Lebanon and Syria. I have shown
that the troubles are, so to speak, physiological in nature and
are due to the wrong functioning of the system as a whole. The
treatment should be supervised by vigilant and competent men
and should consist of educating the farmer in the best methods
of soil management suitable to his conditions. Not until every
thing is functioning well can we think of carrying out ambitious
plans for further development of the country's resources. The
present article is intended to call attention to a type of farming
almost unknown in the East, but which seems to have great possibilities in the agricultural development of our country, namely
dairy farmnig.
By dairy farming is meant those methods of soil management which aim principally at the production of food for dairy
herds which in turn transform part of it into milk. Dairy farming, as I said, is almost unknown in our country where grain
and fruit farming are the predominating types and where milk
is produced as a side line in quantities hardly exceeding the needs
of the farm. The milk producer, in our country, is not the farmer but mainly the shepherd with his numerous goats and sheep.
The dairy cow is relegated into a minor position. But the country can sustain only a limited number of shepherds and that number will naturally decrease as the country is developed, and the
major part of their goats and sheep will have to be fenced in
what becomes virtually a dairy farm. I doubt, however, whether, inside of a fence, any of those romantic creatures can compete with the dairy cow in an essentially unromantic age, and,
sooner or later, that animal will survive which will give the
largest amount of milk with the least possible expenditure, and
I believe that certain good breeds of dairy cows will ultimately
win as milk producers.
�1
10
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I know, however, of no actual data to support or invalidate
my statement, and a thorough study should be undertaken on
an experimental basis. The goat may hold its own for certain
purposes, for instance the production of milk for making certain types of native cheese, but on the whole, it can be hardly
doubted that to develop in our country successful dairy sections
requires the importation of efficient breeds of dairy cattle which
snould be fed scientific rations for their maximum production,
and the elaboration of a scheme of soil management in which
the native hay plants should be studied with respect to their
food value and their effect on the soil, and, if necessary, new
plants should be introduced. If then we find a steady outlet
for, the milk produced, nature, which is extremely generous with
Syria and Lebanon, will furnish the rest, namely, good soil, cool
climate and plenty of cold water, factors very important for a
successful dairy farming. Of all the sections I have known in
my various travels, the western slopes of the Anti-Lebanon and
the beautiful plains of Al-Beqa{, the Ccelesyria of the Greeks,
will have my choice for the dairy farms of which I am dreaming and have dreamt for the last few years.
The necessary outlets for the milk produced may be many.
Fluid milk consumption should be encouraged and the public
should learn the advantages of milk in the diet especially when
it can be safely used without boiling. Pasteurization plants will
therefore have to be erected, with adequate means of refrigeration in storage and transportation. Beirut, Zahle and various
Lebanese towns could be easily supplied with a high-grade milk
produced in that marvelous section for dairying which lies near
Zahle. The surplus milk could be easily absorbed by the various dairy industries for the manufacture of butter, condensed,
evaporated and powdered milk, ice-cream, various cheeses, milk
sugar, and finally casein which is now extensively used in various
industries. I must not forget to mention also the various sour
milk drinks including our national laban.
Thanks to the researches conducted in various countries
during the last thirty years, the dairy industries are no more
empirical. Every process has been investigated and many are
now well understood. An example will make things somewhat
clearer: Swiss cheese has always been manufactured in Switzerland. Nobody knew why a duplication of the process of manufacturing in the United States, for instance, did not yield any-
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�MARCH, 1928
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thing resembling the classical Swiss cheese, with its so-called
"eyes" and its characteristic flavor. Switzerland, therefore, continued to supply the world with its much coveted cheese until
the investigations of Dr. Y. M. Sherman, then at the United
States Department of Agriculture and now head of the Department of Dairy Industry at Cornell University, showed that the
"eyes" of Swiss cheese and its flavor are due to certain bacteria
which live in the absence of air. Dr. Sherman was able to isolate
those bacteria and to grow them in the laboratory. Excellent
Swiss cheese is therefore made in the United States. All the
American manufacturer has to do is to add the "eye" producing
bacteria at a certain stage of the manufacturing process, and he
is more certain of success than the Swiss manufacturer who is
still using his old empirical methods. There is no end to similar
examples.
If such industries could be developed in Syria and Lebanon,
what a source of wealth our people would have.
Let us hope that men and the necessary investments will
soon be available to make out of the country of our fathers the
land that flows with milk and honey that it used to be.
Said a Blade of Grass
By G. K.
GIBRAN
Said a blade of grass to an autumn leaf, "You make such
a noise falling! You scatter all my winter dreams."
i
Said the leaf indignant, "Low-born and low-dwelling!
Songless, peevish thing! You live not in the upper air and you
cannot tell the sound of singing."
Then the autumn leaf lay down upon the earth and slept.
And when spring came she waked again
and she was a blade
of grass.
i
And when it was autumn and her winter sleep was upon
her, and above her through all the air the leaves were falling,
she muttered to herself, "O these autumn leaves! They make
such a noise! They scatter all my winter dreams."
I
�12
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Recent Developments in Palestine
(Based on Reports from American Consul Oscar Heizer, Jerusalem, and Commercial Attache James F. Hodgson, Cairo,
and Published in Commerce Reports of Feb. 20, 1928.)
Although under a different mandate, Palestine, nevertheless, constitutes an integral part of Syria, bound to it by race, language and traditions. The problems of the part, therefore, are the problems of the whole,
and in reprinting the following account of conditions in Palestine by the
Department of Commerce we are acting on our policy of giving accurate
and complete information on all subject of interest affecting Syria as a
whole.
The Editor.
Recent reports from Palestine indicate an improvement
from the crisis that prevailed in 1926 and the greater part of
1927. Industrial activity has increased, and the orange crop is
more satisfactory. The unemployment problem, however^ is
still serious, in spite of the increased industrial needs and relief
afforded through additional requirements of labor for construction work on the new Rutenberg hydroelectric project.
The country had made rapid progress during the period
1921-1925, and the reaction which set in during the latter year
was a natural result of overexpansion. This reaction, however,
has not been without certain beneficial effects. It has eliminated
the less stable factors from the economic structure and has resulted in a general readjustment of the country to its increased
population and changed conditions, thus paving the way there
for further constructive work.
Rapid Growth of Population Caused Inflation—Depression Follows.
The population of Palestine at the end of 1926 was estimated at 890,000, as compared with 737,000 in October, 1922.
This increase demanded an urgent demand for housing and gave
impetus to certain small industries, which provided employment
for many immigrants. When the reaction set in during 1925,
however, the labor released from these activities could not be
absorbed by agriculture, which had not progressed so rapidly as
had industry. Moreover, about this time the immigration into
I
�MARCH, 1928
13
Palestine was at its peak, so that a rather difficult situation developed—unemployment increased, the purchasing power of the
people declined, and industries dependent upon the home market
reduced or ceased operations. This situation marked the beginning of the readjustment that has continued through 1926 and
1927.
Funds from abroad had contributed largely to the rapid
development of the country, so that a diminution of this supply
during the past two years has had an important effect on the
credit situation. Money has been tight and the banks have adopted a very conservative credit policy, a condition that has resulted
in numerous failures of concerns established during the peak
of prosperity. These failures, however, are not an accurate index of general conditions in the country, since these concerns
were the first to feel the effects of depression, whereas the more
stable institutions have been able to survive the reaction.
Budget Position Improved.
A satisfactory condition is noted in the progress of public
finances in Palestine. From a deficit of £E72,000, in the budget
of 1922-23 a surplus of £E187,000 is indicated in the 1926-27
budget, leaving a surplus for the period 1922-1927 estimated at
£E500,000 ($2,500,000).
Large Areas Barren—Research Aids Agriculture.
Of the total area of approximately 9,000 square miles, about
one-third is barren land capable of little, if any, agricultural
development. Fully 1,800 square miles more are of questionable agricultural use. The remainder, an area of somewhat more
than 3,000,000 acres, has definite agricultural possibilities, but
in some large sections irrigation and other more or less expensive
operations are necessary for profitable farming.
The chief development in agriculture has been the settlement of Jewish immigrants under the auspices of the various
organizations. Large sums have been spent for the purchase
of land for settlement purposes, considerable areas of swamp
land have been drained, and agricultural experiment stations
have been established; all this has resulted in the introduction
of new crops. A special study of live stock husbandry has been
undertaken, with a resultant improvement in the care of animals
and their breeding; also, an educational campaign has been
launched for the purpose of introducing modern methods of
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
14
poultry farming. A survey was also made of soil conditions, fertilizer requirements, and underground water supply, with a view
to placing agriculture on a more scientific basis.
Fruit Growing Increases—Oranges Most Valuable Crop.
The climate and soil of Palestine are particularly well
adapted for fruit growing, and its development has received
special attention. Oranges constitute the most successful crop
and their culture has developed rapidly since 1921, with large
increase in acreage planted in 1925 and 1926. In the latter
year oranges represented approximately 44 per cent, of total
export values and a small gain over 1925.
Exact statistics of production are not available, but the following estimates have been made for oranges and lemons combined:
BOXES
1921
1922
1923
830,960 1924
1,234,250 1925
1,365,540 1926
BOXES
1,589,330
2,146,450
1,887,500
Watermelons also constitute an increasingly important item
in the fruit production of Palestine. Other fruits grown in commercial quantities are apricots, figs, plums, and raisins, but their
exports are relatively unimportant.
Wheat, barley, durra, and sesame constitute the major grain
crops of the country. Local production, however, is not sufficient
for domestic needs, and certain quantities are imported regularly. This condition has resulted in an increase of area sown to
grains.
Manufacturing Unimportant—Mineral Resources Limited.
Manufacturing is relatively unimportant in Palestine. A
few industries have been introduced, with varying success; but,
temporarily at least, the lack of raw materials and the absence
of coal for fuel handicap the establishment of manufacturing on
a large scale. The fuel need, however, is expected to be substituted by power from the proposed hydroelectric projects under
the Rutenberg scheme. Among the older and more important
industries of the country may be mentioned flour milling, production of silicate bricks (made of sand and lime), vegetable oils
and soap, cement, wine, cigarettes, etc.
The mineral resources of the country have not been fully
t
�1
MARCH, 1928
15
investigated, but partial surveys indicate that the only potential
mineral wealth is contained in the waters of the Dead Sea. The
deposits of this sea represent a valuable asset from a commerdal
point of view, and negotiations for their exploitation have been
carried on for some time.
Commercial Centers Developing—Rapid Growth of Tel-Aviv.
1
s
Jerusalem, with a population of 70,000, is the capital and
prindpal inland trading center of Palestine. From a commerdal point of view, however, it is not of outstanding importance,
although it is the center of the growing tourist traffic of the Holy
Land. Jaffa, the principal port of the country, is the leading
commerdal dty. It is the center for the export of oranges, and
a number of small industries are located there. An outstanding
handicap is the lack of an adequate harbor; ships are forced to
anchor about a mile offshore in an open roadstead, and the loading and unloading of cargoes is effected by lighters. Jaffa is
connected with Jerusalem by a motor road and by rail.
Haifa (or Caiffa) is another growing port. It commands
the hinterland, with which it is connected by rail} is the terminus
of the Cairo-Kantara-Lydda-Haifa line, and is the center of
many good motor roads that radiate from it. It also lacks a
harbor, but it is estimated that less expense would be involved
in developing this harbor than the one at Jaffa.
Tel-Aviv, the center of the Jewish colonies in Judea, has
grown under the impetus of Jewish immigration from a suburb of Jaffa to a munidpality of 40,000 population. The largest
orange and almond groves and vineyards are located in its vidnity. Until 1925 the expansion of Tel-Aviv was such that the
demand for houses was greatly in excess of the buildings available, and an extensive building program was launched in order
to keep pace with the influx of workers and residents. As a consequence, the dty was greatly overbuilt in antidpation of a permanent inflow of population, and the economic crisis which Palestine has been undergoing since October, 1925, has been particularly acute in the dty of Tel-Aviv.
The development of cheap electric power by the Rutenberg
power plant is expected to be a boon to manufacturers in TelAviv and the surrounding country. Though many of the industries have been shut down on account of the present economic
crisis, it is antidpated that, as the crisis subsides, these will reopen.
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Hydroelectric Project Will Aid Industry.
The Rutenberg plan, which has the official sanction of the
Palestine Government in the form of a concession for 70 years
to the Palestine Electric Corporation (Ltd.), Tel-Aviv, Palestine,
calls for the harnessing of the Jordan River at intervals from
its source to the point where it empties into the Dead Sea, in addition to the utilization of the waters of the Yarmuk River in
the same manner. The first dam will be constructed at the point
where the Jordan River leaves Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee)
with a power house at the town of Abadieh. Between these two
points there is a fall of 40 meters in 8 miles.
It has been estimated that when the first stage of the development is completed a supply of 70,000,000 kilowatt-hours of
energy per year will be provided. As consumption, according to
the present requirements, will be 20,000,000 kilowatt-hours a
year, there will be a considerable surplus for new industrial enterprises.
In addition to the hydroelectric development, the Rutenberg scheme also calls for the construction of a system of irrigation ditches, which would convert many large sections of arid
land into farms.
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Railway Improved—Motor Roads Extended.
The economic development of the country has been accompanied by a general improvement and extension of communications. There has been no new railroad construction of any importance, but the existing roads and rolling stock have been improved considerably. The network of motor roads has been so
extended that good roads are now available to all points of intesest in the country, including Bethlehem, Hebron, Nazareth,
the Sea of Galilee, Nablus, Jericho, the Dead Sea, the River
Jordan, Es-Salt, Amman (Transjordania), Damascus (Syria),
Tyre, Sidon, Acre, Haifa, Jaffa, and Tel-Aviv. The Government's program of road construction anticipates further extension to all centers of population in the country. It is of interest
that of 2,123 motor vehicles registered in 1926, 85 per cent, were
of American make.
The streets in the principal cities, particularly in Jerusalem
and. Jaffa, are .not in satisfactory condition, but contracts have already been let for macadamizing the main thoroughfares. It is
planned to resurface all the city streets in the near future.
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�JAFFA, PRINCIPAL PORT OF PALESTINE
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The open roadstead of Jaffa makes the construction of a modern harbor a more expensive
than the development of the port of Haifa, which is fast gaining on Jaffa. (See Article
Developments in Palestine.)
'
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•-'• *^* **
undertaking
on Recent
�TEL AVIV,
PALESTINE
Center of Zionist colonization activities in Palestine which rose within the last few years from a
mere suburb of Jaffa to a city of 40,000. (See Article on Recent Developments in Palestine.)
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�MARCH,
1928
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Imports Exceed Exports.
The balance of Palestine's foreign trade has been consistently unfavorable, varying in amount between $18,000,000 and
$30,000,000 per annum. It is impossible to state to what extent
this adverse balance is compensated by invisible exports and
money remittances from abroad, as even rough estimates of these
amounts are not available.
Imports consist chiefly of textile goods, wheat flour, government stores, colonial products, automobiles, benzine, and vari <ous manufactured goods. Exports include oranges, soap, watermelons, wines, curios, etc.
1
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American Sales Well Maintained.
The depression has had a marked effect on general imports j
ithese declined about 20 per cent, in 1926 as compared with 1925,
•and a further decrease is indicated for 1927. Imports from the
United States, nevertheless, have been fairly well maintained,
:and the fact that most of the funds contributed for development
work in Palestine originate in this country should have a favorable effect on this trade. Although Palestine itself has a limited
capacity for absorbing foreign manufactures, it is a valuable field
for the introduction of many products that may ultimately find
a market in the adjoining territory.
To a Female Cup-Bearer
Translated from the Arabic by J. D. CARLYLE
Come, Leila, fill the goblet up,
Reach round the rosy wine,
Think not that we will take the cup
From any hand but thine.
A draught like this 'twere vain to seek,
No grape can such supply;
It steals its tint from Leila's cheek,
Its brightness from her eye.
I;
�18
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syrian Naturalization Question
in the United States
CERTAIN LEGAL ASPECTS OF OUR
NATURALIZATION LAWS
By JOSEPH W. FERRIS
PART II.
The Syrians were most anxious to act on the suggestion of
Judge Smith and they immediately carried their appeal to the
Circuit Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, the title of the case
being DOW vs. UNITED STATES, et al (226 Fed. Rep, 145
Sept. 14, 1915.)
It was argued before Pritchard, Knapp and Woods, Circuit Judges. Woods delivered the opinion of the Court. It was
most intelligent and comprehensive.
After reciting the fact that Dow was denied naturalization
upon the sole ground that a person of Asiatic birth is not a free
white person within the meaning of the naturalization statute,
the learned Judge reviewed the Statute at length, stating that
if it be assumed that the preponderance of the argument was
strongly in favor of the conclusion that in 1790 the popular understanding was that people of European nativity or descent
were white, nevertheless, however, the popular conception of
race division became more distinct as time went on, and that such
a construction in 1790 would not be conclusive to the present
statute, because the legislators of later years could not have supposed that the term "free white persons" would carry the restricted meaning as held by Judge Smith, and that the controlling factor in ascertaining the moving intention should be given
to the words as they stand in the present law. He pointed out
that in addition to the amendments at various times, there was
a repeal and a new statute in 1802, and new statutes in 1824 and
1828 ; that in 1870 there had been vigorous debate on the proposition to amend the law by striking out altogether the limitation
to "free white persons" so that all aliens without regard to race
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MARCH, 1928
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could be naturalized. This proposed amendment was defeated,
but it resulted in the extension of the privilege of naturalization to "aliens of African nativity and African descent". That
in 1873 the report of the Committee on Revision of the Laws
omitted the limiting words "free white persons" and that this
report was adopted and the limitation was thus removed, being,
however, reinstated in 1875j and that certainly after all this
Legislative discussion and reconsideration and enactment, the
present statute must be construed in light of the general opinion
now existing that the inhabitants of a portion of Asia, including
Syria, were to be classified as white persons.
With respect to the argument that Syria and the contiguous
countries of Asia near the Mediterranean had been subject to
many changes in their inhabitants through conquests and other
causes, he held that the consensus of opinion at the time of the
enactment of the Statute now in force was that they were so
closely related to their neighbors, on the European side of the
Mediterranean, that they should be classified as white, and must
necessarily be held to fall within the term "free white persons"
used in the statute.
Reference was made by the Court to the opinion of later
writers who are in accord with Blumenbach that Syrians are to
be classified as white people, citing Pritchard, Natural History
of Man, 1848; Pickering, Races of Man 1851; Figuier, the
Human Race, 1872; Jeffries, Natural History of the Human
Race, 1879; Brinton, Races and People, 1901; Keane, Worlds
Peoples, 1908; and the Dictionary of Races as contained in the
reports of the Immigration Commission, 1911, which says:
"Physically the modern Syrians are of mixed Syrian,
Arabian and even Jewish blood. They belong to the
Semitic branch of the Caucasian race, thus widely differing from their rulers, the Turks, who are in origin
Mongolian."
The Court then held that in accordance with this construction of the Statutes, a large number of Syrians had been naturalized without question and that it was significant in view of these
decisions and this practice of the Courts, that Congress had not
seen fit to change the law.
Thus the decision of Judge Smith in the lower Court was
reversed and Dow's petition for naturalization was granted.
1
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�THE SYRIAN WORLD
20
The Government did not see fit, and this is regrettable,
to appeal. Nevertheless, the decision of the Circuit Court of
Appeals in the Dow case is unassailable.
It is believed, however, that the question has been decided
for all times by the decision of the United States Supreme Court
in the case of UNITED STATES vs. BHAGAT SINGH,
THIND, 261 U. S. 204, (October Term, 1922).
It is true that in the last mentioned case the question pertained to a Hindoo, nevertheless, the opinion of Mr. Justice
Sutherland, delivered on behalf of the United States Supreme
Court, very pertinently answers any contention such as made by
Judge Smith.
It was held that the words "free white persons" imparted
a racial and not an individual test and were meant to indicate
persons of only what is popularly known as the Caucasian race.
This is in direct contravention of the holding of Judge Smith.
It is further held that the mere ability on the part of an
applicant for naturalization to establish a line of descent from
a Caucasian ancestor did not ipso facto and necessarily conclude
the inquiry. "Caucasian" was a conventional word of much
flexibility as the study of literature dealing with racial questions
disclosed and while it and the words "white person" are treated
as synonymous in some of the cases, yet they were not of identical meaning—idem per idem.
The Court held that the word "Caucasian" not only was
not employed in law but was probably wholly unfamiliar to the
original framers of the Statute in 1790, and that when it was
employed by the Court, they did so solely to ascertain the legislative intent.
The United States Supreme Court then went on to hold
that during the last half century, especially, the word by common usage had acquired a popular meaning, not clearly defined,
to be sure, but sufficiently so to enable the Court to say that this
popular, as distinguished from its scientific, application was of
appreciably narrower scope and that it was in the popular sense
of the word, therefore, that it was employed.
The words "White persons" implied a racial test, but the
term "race" was one which for-the practical purpose of the Statute, must be applied to a group of living persons now possessing
in common the requisite characteristics and not to a group of
persons who were supposed to be or really are descended from
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�MARCH, 1928
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some remote common ancestor, but who, whether they both resemble him to a higher or lower extent, had at any rate ceased
altogether to resemble one another.
The question for determination was not, therefore, whether by speculative processes of ethnological reasoning a probability was presented to the scientific mind that persons had the same
origin, but wether such persons can satisfy the common understanding that they are now the same or sufficiently the same to
justify the interpreters of a statute—written in the words of
common speech for common understanding by unscientific men—
in classifying them together in a statuory category as white persons.
The Court further held that the Aryan theory as a racial
basis seems to be discredited by most, if not all modern writers
on the subject of ethnology, and that the term, Aryan, had to
do with linguistic and not at all physical characteristics and that
it would seem reasonably clear that mere resemblance in language indicating a common linguistic root buried in remotely
ancient soil, is altogether inadequate to prove common racial
origin.
As to the word "Caucasian", the Court said that this was
in scarcely better repute and was' at best a conventional term with
an altogether fortuitous origin, which under scientific manipulation had come to include far more than the unscientific mind
suspected.
It said that the various authorities were irreconcilable as to
what constituted a proper racial division and that, for instance,
Blumenbach had five races; Keane, following Linnaeus, four;
Deniker, twenty-nine; and that the explanation probably is, that
the numerous varieties of mankind run into one another by insensible degrees. Therefore a given group cannot be properly
assigned to any of the enumerated grand racial divisions.
The Court then held that the words "free white persons"
are words of common speech to be interpreted in accordance
with the understanding of the common man, synonymous with
the word "Caucasian" only as that word is popularly understood.
In the conclusion of the United States Supreme Court decision, there appears a very important statement which supports
the interpretation that Syrians fall within the provisions of the
Naturalization Law.
The United States Supreme Court said that it was not with-
'
�OOOOE'S SEf
THE SYRIAN WORLD
22
out significance that Congress by the Act of February 5th, 1917,
Chapter 39, Sec. 3, 39 Stat. 874, had now excluded from admission into this Country all natives of Asia within designated
limits of latitude and longitude, including the whole of India.
This, in the opinion of the Court, not only constituted conclusive
evidence of the Congressional attitude of opposition to Asiatic
immigration generally, but was persuasive of a similar attitude
toward Asiatic naturalization as well, since it was not likely that
Congress would be willing to accept as citizens the class of persons whom it rejects as immigrants.
While at first blush this statement might seem to be derogatory to any contention that Syrians fell within the provisions
of the Naturalization Law, yet on inspection of the Act of Congress which is now commonly known as the Restrictive Immigration Act, it will be found that Syrians were not one of the excluded class of immigrants because Syria does not fall within
the designated geographical area, from which immigration is
excluded. To the contrary, a fixed quota was established by
Congress for Syrians.
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— BASHA CASE —
It may be further interesting to note that the same Judge
Smith above referred to, had occasion in 1923, on the application of one F. W. Basha, to again raise the question in face ot
the reversal of his decision in the Dow case. He denied the
petition of Basha, assigning as a reason that the passage of the
Restrictive Immigration Act in 1917 showed an intention on the
part of Congress to exclude Syrians from naturalization.
The writer had occasion to deal with this decision at length
and on an application for a rehearing, it being pointed out that
Syria was not within the restrictive territories, Basha's petition
for naturalization was granted.
The geographical limits as fixed by the Act of Congress
of 1917, insofar as they applied to the present question, are as
follows:
On the West — longitude, 50 degrees east of Greenwich Meridian,
On the East — longitude, 110 degrees east of Greenwich Meridian,
and within these East and West longitudes, south of
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�OOOOE'S SERIES OF BASE MAPS AND GRAPHS: ASIA ON LAMBERT'S EQUAL AREA PROJECTION; M0.--2Q5
Fee Cka U» n CHOW**. H«*V CIVH Eennomin. «c Prepared by J P*ul Goodt.
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UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 8, SUB-DIVISION (n)
Unless otherwise provided for by existing treaties, persons who are natives of
islands not possessed by the United States adjacent to the Continent of Asia, situate
south of the twentieth parallel latitude north, west of the one hundred and sixtieth
meridian of longitude east from Greenwich, and north of the tenth parallel of latitude
f
'south, or who are natives of any country, province, or dependency situate on the Continent of Asia west of the one hundred and tenth meridian of longitude east from
Greenwich and east of the fiiftieth meridian longitude east from Greenwich and south
Aof the fiftieth parallel of latitude north, except that portion of said territory situate
between the fiftieth and the sixty-fourth meridians of longitude east from Greenwich
and the twenty-fourth and thirty-eighth parallels of latitude north, and no alien now in
,any way excluded from, or prevented from entering, the United States shall be admitted to the United States.
�- * """" ,*"~~
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* THE SYRIAN WORLD
:
the fiftieth-degree" bf North latitude, excepting the
. part between-longitude 56 degrees and 64 degrees
East and''Between latitude 24 degrees and 38 degrees
-north.
<!;
Thus we see that no part of Syria extends even anywhere
' near the fiftieth degree East of Greenwich, which is the Western
limit of the barred area of immigration, and is over nve hundred miles outside of the nearest exclusion limit.
In addition the conclusive fact is, that Syria was assigned
a quota under the so-called Restrictive Immigration Act.
It is hoped that the question has been settled once for all
and in closing, it might be best to quote the words of Raymond
F. Christ, Commissioner of Naturalization, who in referring to
Syrians, said:
"/ am sure that such evidences of loyalty and patriotism to the Country can have no other than a highly
stimulating effect * * * upon all other nationalities and
American citizens, as well."
The Ameer and the Palace Maid
by DR. N. A. KATIBAH
Translated from the original Arabic of Abu Nawas
A lass hailed swaying down the palace hall.
Half drunk, half sober, winsome, coy and tall}
Her flowing mantle, now let loose, I won;
Her girdle, too, unguarded, came undone.
I pressed the advantage, veiled by sable night;
"Black night," she scorned, "vouchsafes but blind delight.
Nonplussed, I prayed her bind her love to test;
She sweetly breathed: "Tomorrow thou'rt my guest.
But on the morrow when I sought her graces,
,»
"Daylight," quoth she, "the word of night effaces.
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25
The Meeting
A SHORT STORY
By
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Author of "Anna Ascends" etc.
The mystery is still discussed at Khoury's Coffee House,
where, when in town, it is my wont to have my evening meal.
I refer to the strange and sudden disappearance from the Syrian
Quarter of Froscine Sibyan, "Heavenly Froscine" as she was
called, and she was heavenly—divinely so in every possible way.
Beautiful, very dark brown hair, thick at the roots and reaching
to her knees, crowned an oval madonna-like face with cheeks
that seemed to have been kissed by the rose petals of old Syria.
Eyes as deep and as clear as the old wells in the Coele Valley—
a mouth as warm and as sweet as the summer zephyrs which
play around the slopes of Lebanon, and a body as straight and
as graceful as a date palm. Such was Froscine. "The Spirit of
Syria", I called her, transplanted and flourishing on American
soil.
Yes, the mystery is still frankly wondered at and discussed.
She vanished one day and never a trace of her has been heard
of since. Everybody has his version of the affair. The fat little
oil merchant, the lace man, the doctor, the lawyer and all the
rest, have some sort of theory about it. Perhaps, you, too, have
heard of the case and have your own particular ideas concerning it. But now I feel it time to state that all those ideas and
theories are quite wrong—and the true story of it is known only
to me. I, the Anglo-Saxon, who sat at the corner table and
listened, quite amused, at the arguments and discussions, am the
only living being who has the true story of Froscine, that is,
I am quite sure it is the true story, and I should like to hear
from any of my readers and get their opinion on my tale. They
may deride and scoff at it, but let me say that I have gone to
considerable expense, and I hope not waste of much valuable
time, to prove my case, and I am telling this little story with
the fear that you will call me a superstitious and ignorant fool,
wmmm
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
but I will put the facts before you and you can deduct from
them what you will and come to your own conclusions. I lay
my reputation before you and you can weigh and judge it as
you will weigh and judge the story—not story, no, for the tale
is true.
Before I unfold the matter before you, I will digress for
the moment and mention to you an historical and recorded fact.
It should allay some of the doubt you might entertain when you
have done with the story. Here is one thing I want you to remember before you condemn my narrative as impossible and ridiculous and consign it to the waste paper basket. It is this.
Somewhat over one hundred and fifty years ago, near the
old city of Damascus, the wife of a well-to-do Syrian merchant
bore him twins. These children were linked together by a cartilage or gristlei at the hips, like the well-known Siamese Twins,
but in the case of the Syrian children the attachment was not hopeless and the doctor separated them a few weeks after the birth.
However, the surgeon's knife could not separate their souls and
they grew to manhood linked in heart and soul, never out of
each other's sight and with a strong and beautiful love for each
other. At the proper time these boys were, sent to Paris, France,
to complete their education. This finished, they entered business
there and prospered. The First Consul had been proclaimed
Emperor by the Senatus Consultum and plans were being made
to crush Syria under the iron heel along with other weak countries, when Cadoudal, Pichegru, the two Polignacs and others
entered into a plot against Napoleon with the object in view, viz,
the restoration of the Bourbons. Naturally, the two Syrians entered into the plot, which was discovered and proclamations
placarded their names, in large letters, on every street corner,
accompanied by the word, "Trattres a la Republique". The
brothers were forced to flee for their lives, but with a goodly
sum of gold they escaped in disguise and returned to their native
land, separating, however, to help the escape. They never met
again, but to the end they kept in touch with each other, lived
and died as all men should, leaving families. Of course, they
changed their names to avoid arrest, even in their own land,
the arm of the emperor being long, but when the "murderer
of Europe" was safe at St. Helena, they resumed their family
name again. Now, bear in mind, the name was Sibyan. The
incident I have, quoted above may seem, at the present moment,
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to be vague and involved to you, but I think it will prove my
story beyond a doubt. Let us get ahead with Froscine.
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Froscine's father had been a very good friend of mine and
at his death, I sort of looked after her, or, I should say, she
positively looked after me. I had a studio in New York at the
time, commuting from my home in the country and arriving
there at nine in the morning, I would work until about three
in the afternoon and then go home. Froscine, who held a very
good stenographer's position, would work for me, part time,
getting to the studio sometime after five in the afternoon and
doing odd jobs for me, such as mailing scripts, recording rejections or acceptances, copying plays and that sort of work. Hence,
I rarely saw her, except on Saturdays when we would meet at
one o'clock and spend the rest of the day together, taking in
two performances at the theatres and having dinner in some
little strange eating place. Those were banner days for us. We
both enjoyed them and the scheme of things might have gone
on to no end had not a fatal thing happened. Froscine fell in
love—fell in love suddenly, and to my mind without cause. It
happened in this wise. One Saturday, as we were about to leave
the studio and go to a show, there was a knock at the door. Froscine answered and on the threshold stood one of the most pleasant and wholesome youths I ever saw. In very perfect English
he stated his business. He was a confectioner. The maker of
sweet cakes of all sorts and was soliciting orders to be delivered
twice a week. Would we please taste his wares? And if we
liked his concoctions, would we give him an order? He lifted
the cover of a strange looking basket and there before us on spotless linen were his creations. I recall now that Froscine wasn't
particularly interested in his sweetmeats. Rather did she look
steadily into his face—and after a few words between them, she
gave me the shock of my life by asking him inside. One could
not help liking the boy. What a smile he had. What a smile.
His body was like that of a Greek God, and he was tall for his
race, very tall. We sampled his wares, and as Froscine used to
boss me unmercifully (and I liked it) she ordered cakes for my
particular diet twice a week.
Suddenly, without rhyme or reason, the two burst into their
native tongue. The conversation waxed fast between them, mak-
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ing Froscine and I quite late for the matinee, but I didn't care,
as they seemed so animated and keen toward each other and from
time to time Froscine would throw me a sentence in English and
put me wise to the trend of their conversation. It seemed, by
a strange chance, that they were of the same name—Sibyan—but
probably in no way related, as their parents came from distinct
districts in Syria.
All things must end but love, and so with their first meeting. Amine, that was the boy's name, had customers to seek and
we had a matinee to see. We parted with him and I did not
see Amine for another week. Not so with Froscine. She told
me she saw him every day. It was a true case of love at first
sight. He was her man and she was his woman. There was
no chance of getting away from that fact for either of them.
Love came into their hearts, love all powerful and conquering.
It was thrust upon them without their seeking and they were
dazed by its strength and beauty. The whole affair was beyond
understanding to me. I had never seen anything like it before
and can never hope to again. It was a love that happens once
in a lifetime—five lifetimes. I haven't the words to express it.
It was beyond adjectives. A gift from God. At first it left
me with rather a chilly void in my heart. Something seemed
to have gone out of my life, because Froscine was giving most
of her time to her boy, but my fears were quite groundless, for
instead of having only her I had them both, and the Trinity, as
we dubbed ourselves, spent many a happy hour together.
Matters progressed smoothly. Amine had over seven hundred customers, (his smile was not to be resisted) and had opened a shop, a little shop tucked away on a side street but well
patronized. They were to be married at once and spend their
honeymoon at the studio. Everything was cut and dried.
The three of us were very happy, when America entered
the World War. That awful war which warped men's souls or
ennobled them. Amine did not wait for the draft. He couldn't
nor would Froscine let him. He enlisted—and God only knows
what it cost the two of them. Life ahead of them so clear and
beautiful, but they never hesitated for a moment, even when I
advised it. The die was cast but they would be married at once,
no matter what happened. Arrangements were rushed and there
was need for it as Amine was called to report and given only
twenty-four hours to do so. Twenty-four hours! They were
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�MARCH, 1928
29
married inside of five. Of course I stood up with them. We
returned to the studio where they were to spend the few bridal
hours that were left and I remained only a short time to make
necessary arrangements. I shall never forget those last few hours
I spent with them. They sat together, close, on the big divan,
with the moon shining through the window upon them making
the lovers—mates—appear as one, undivided. The conversation was rather vague to me, outside of the little business matters we had to clear up, but, aside from those, I remember Froscine giving Amine a tiny little cross on a threadlike chain, which
he placed around his wrist, swearing never to remove it. It had
been her mother's. I have, too, a very vivid recollection of a
solemn promise made by Froscine, that, no matter the outcome,
dead or alive, they would seek each other out. A strange vow,
dead or alive. Nothing could part them. God was good. Life
was only life, but love was everything else.
I left them to the few hours they had before he was to go
away. I never saw the boy again. He went away early the next
morning and very soon Froscine and I were back in our regular
routine again with slips of rejections and plays. From the time
Amine went away Froscine wrote to him twice a day. Never a
day was missed and the boy answered in kind. The poor dears
seemed to get a lot of happiness out of life though they were
three thousand miles apart. Absence; the space of ocean wide;
the lonely hours which slowly crept apace could net dim a love
like that, but rather enhanced it, if such a thing were possible.
Days passed into months and the months into years. It seemed
strange to me that the wrorld didn't give up trying during that
harrowing time. It was a surprise to me to see the sun rise every
morning, while such awful things were occurring. Yet men continued to barter and sell. Politicians still lied; men still hated
and loved—and some even laughed. Yet again, some even made
money.
Exactly ten days before the Armistice, I (one of the men
who laughed) had attended a heavy dinner down town, where
heavier wine was served. I tired of it and soon left the place,
which was only around the corner from the studio. A little tipsy
I should call myself, not drunk, but just a trifle too much of
wine, which had gone to my head in the overheated dining room.
Once in the street, tke thought came to me it would be wise,
owing to the several holdups that were occurring at the time,
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
that I had better stop at the studio and leave my platinum cuff
links, watch and chain and other trinkets of considerable value,
before I walked across town to the ferryhouse four blocks away.
I would leave them with a note to Froscine. I fancied how pleased she would be when she discovered I had done something she
would want me to do. Her dear old absent minded guardian
remembering to save his valuables from possible footpads.
I opened the door and walked in. There was no light in
the vestibule. I went into the studio proper and switched on
the lights. God of Heaven, I shall never forget that sight.
Froscine was there sprawled out on the floor: her head and shoulders resting against the heavy brass coal box. Her beautiful
hair in gorgeous disarray about her, seemed to be trying with
modesty to protect her. Her eyes were wide open, staring cold
and lifeless ahead. In her left hand was an official looking
document, which I recognized at once as from the War Department. I had seen enough of them to know.
ShQ did not recognize me, could not answer me. Her whole
body seemed turned to stone. I picked her up and carried her
to the couch, then called a doctor friend of mine. He worked
all night over her and at last brought her to normal.
Did I say normal? No. Back to life but not normal. For
three months the poor girl hovered between life and death.
Silent and still. Never a word from her, but I felt that she
was going to live 5 that she wanted to live—for some serious object—I knew not what. At last, one day, she arose from the
bed and dressed. Still beautiful, even with her deep set eyes,
hollow cheeks and wasted form. A few articles she packed in
a bag, then she turned to me and said:
"I'll go to Amine, now. He needs me."
Instantly, I feared that she intended to do away with herself.
"Don't do anything so foolish, my child." And as gently
as possible I added:
"Amine would not want you to do that."
She smiled at me wanly.
"You mistake me, dear friend. I will do nothing like you
think.
She mused: "What would be the good?"
And she cryptically added: "It won't be long, now, anyway."
"What won't be long?" I asked mystified.
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�MARCH, 1928
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"They cannot keep us apart. We have promised. I sail
for France. Will
will you see me off?"
There was no use arguing with her. She must sail for
France, and sail she did. I stood on the dock and watched the
ship disappear over the horizon, with the tingle of her warm
and chaste kiss still on my lips. That's the last I ever saw of
Froscine in life and that's the answer to the mystery of her disappearance. But that's not the end of my story.
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They reached the brow of the hill—the man and woman—
and reciprocally paused for rest. The man removed the cigarette from his lips and pointed the stained and wet end in a
vague manner towards the fast setting sun and spoke.
"It was there, Madame." He gazed at her keenly, expecting a correction by word or sign concerning the madame, but the
woman remained silent and still. He continued:
"It was there. You observe the stone wall? Oui? You
also see the large grey rock where the wall ends? There is a
brook there. At the end of the rock, reaching the water's edge,
is where—where it happened."
He replaced the cigarette in his mouth, puffing contentedly, as if to convey the impression that his information was given
—his work done and it was now the woman's move. Still she
was silent, her eyes fixed steadily on the spot he had indicated.
The man impatiently continued:
"Night is well on us, Madame—and I have passengers—
a bridal couple, to convey to Messincourt by nine—bridal couples
should not be disappointed with all the happy years before them."
He paused a second for a reply but none came, then he
continued— "We are twelve miles from Sachby—will Madame
be so gracious
" The woman seemed to come to life. She
spoke with a strained voice, "The water's edge—at the rock, you
say?"
"Oui, Madame, but nothing was found of him. Not a
button. The shell struck at his feet. The rest of us had fallen
prone, but not he. As a shell bursts fan-shaped w'e escaped, but
he "
"Take this," she almost whispered. She handed him her
full purse, "There is more than enough. Please go—and thank
you"
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The man looked with surprised pleasure at the small but
well stuffed hand bag and then at the woman.
"But, Madame," he objected, yet secreting it in some mysterious pocket under his smock, "you without
er
but
shall I wait for you?"
The woman's eyes had returned their gaze to the rock. I
will have no use for the gold—or for you. You may return
to Sachby."
"As you say, Madame," returned the man, backing towards
the road they had just left. "If Madame finds herself without accommodations, Jean Richard will no doubt lodge her. That
is he, with his two sisters, working in the field beyond the wall."
She glanced toward the three peasants, hoeing lettuce in
the other field. They were working fast, as the lights were turning to black and grey shadows. She answered the man without
looking at him, "I will need no accommodations," then with a
cryptic smile she added, "Return for me in the morning. I |
shall be somewhere near the rock."
"Oui, Madame." He definitely decided that she was crazy.
Fool, that he had been, himself, not to have suspected before.
This tall, dark woman, dressed entirely in black, who seemed
dead all over, save her burning eyes, which were live enough to
drag the rest of her through life itself. She had sought him
out only that morning at Sachby and without any preliminaries,
asked his name—his company and regiment during the war—
and his part of a small skirmish that had taken place near Sachby.
She had brought a letter from headquarters in Paris, so he had
answered all her questions readily enough. Yes, he had reached
Sedan with the American troops after the Hindenberg line had
been broken. Yes, he, as a Frenchman, had been assigned to
such and such company. One or two Frenchmen had been placed
with each company of American troops, to show them the ropes.
Yes. Yes. Yes. He remembered Amine Sibyan, very well.
Nice boy. Wore a gold cross on a small chain around his wrist.
Yes, he knew exactly where he had been killed, but it was useless for Madame to go there. Nothing was found of him. Was
Madame Amine's sister? Yes, yes, he would convey her to the
spot on the morrow. Not today, Madame, it was too late. Time
for supper, nearly. Yet if Madame insisted he would go_ with
her now, but nothing could be seen in the dusk of the evening—
and it would cost her eighty francs. Petrol was so very dear,
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and there was just enough in the tank to take them to the spot
and back—the spot where Amine Sibyan had so unfortunately
been blown to pieces, ever so little pieces. Not a button was
left of him. Those things would happen. He had seen it occur many times during the war.
And so he had brought this strange and ghostly woman to
the place—and she intended to remain through the night. Very
well, let her, but he intended to hide behind the large Lombardy
Poplar and find out just what crazy thing she was up to. From his
place of concealment he saw the woman descend the hill slowly,
her eyes fixed seemingly on the rock he had indicated. When
she reached the spot, she lifted her face toward the sky, her
arms upraised, too, as if she were praying—or, perhaps, giving
thanks for something—yes, that is what it was, for the next instant she was on her knees at the rock, groping through the grass
with her hands, as if searching for something. This seemed to
the man in hiding to take a long time and he was about to stop
his spying, go to his car and drive back to Sachby and the wedding couple, when suddenly the woman stopped her search. She
sat on the grass, her upper body nesting against the rock. A tired
resignation, yet triumphant attitude, told him that she had been
successful in her search—whatever it was for. She laid there
as still as death. Then the watcher was attracted by the actions
of Jean the peasant and his two sisters. Jean, with a cry, pointed toward the wall in an agitated manner with his hoe and the
girls stood transfixed with awe and fear. They could not see
the woman in black. The watcher was sure of that, because the
wall and rock hid her completely from the lettuce workers, hence,
what was causing the stir in the other field? The two girls,
dropping their implements, backed down the row of lettuce, then
turned and ran, Jean following them at a more dignified gait.
The watcher came from his hiding place to meet them and hailed them cheerfully, so as not to frighten the girls, who seemed
to be at their wits' end. The little group reached him.
"God of Heaven," Jean panted, "but we have just seen
something—saw it with our own eyes." The girls were crying
softly with fright.
"Yes, Monsieur," said the man from Sachby, noncommittingly. "With our own eyes," Jean repeated. "A soldier in an
American uniform and a woman dressed in black appeared from
behind the wall near the old grey rock—appeared, I say, and
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
34
walked toward the sun-strange-strange-they were ghosts,
I am sure, for they walked right into the setting sun and disappeared again." He paused, pearing through the gloom at the
man from Sachby in a threatening manner, as if to dare his disbelief. "Do you believe me? Ask Sophie and Annetta, here.
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ThaeVwaltrand rock were now hidden in the darkness of
night. The man did not answer. He turned to the road toward
HlS
^iTeinhTtruth," insisted Jean. "We saw them, arm in
arm, like lovers, young and true lovers, walk into the sun.
The man turned to answer him. "Perhaps your imagination,
or the black bread you eat. Get into my car and I will drive
you to your cotta.ee." So they went their way
The next morning the woman was found dead—just as the
man had seen her last. Her face was so beautiful in death with
a heavenly smile that seemed to promise her so much in^ that
mysterious life that is to come. Nothing was found on the wo"an to identify her, save in her left hand tightly d..sped to
her heart, was a little gold cross on a thread-like chain of gold.
They buried her with it—neath the rock.
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Arab Proverbs
Two things only those who have lost appreciate most: Youth
and Health.
Better be silent until you are asked to speak, than speak
until you are asked to be silent.
The wise man is he who makes his own breast the repository of his secrets.
Poor sight is not so much of a shortcoming when one is
blessed with insight.
To ask for undeserving praise is the worst presumption.
The supposition of the learned man is superior to the assertion of the ignorant one.
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35
The Clemency of Mu'awiyah
His Great Forbearance with Zarqa, the Koufite woman Who
Exhorted the Followers of (Ali to Resist Him.
ADAPTED FROM THE ARABIC.
The years immediately following the death of the Prophet
Mohammed were turbulent days for Islam. The issue of succession led to bloody warfare among his followers even though
they were relentlessly pursuing their ever widening plan of conquest. Mu'awiyah had firmly established himself in Syria and
was formulating his plans for a world empire. He was not only
an able general but a master statesman and administrator. He
contested the right of 'Ali to the Khilafat and resolutely went
to war in defense of his claim. The Day of Saffeen, in which
was waged the great battle which was to decide the issue, witnessed one of the bloodiest, most desperate engagements in the annals of the Arabs. Mu'awiyah won and firmly established his
rule* in Damascus. For nearly a hundred years the dynasty which
he founded was master of the destinies of the Islamic Empire
which had expanded to a larger extent than that of the Roman
Empire at the height of its power. Even during the lifetime
of Mu'awiyah most of the conquests were accomplished.
Following the battle of Saffeen, Mu'awiyah one day called
to him his principal lieutenants and supporters to discuss matters of state. The conversation naturally ran first into reminiscences of the signal victory achieved. Some of those present
were bitter in their denunciation of the instigators of the struggle and those responsible for the continuation of the battle after
the preliminary stages. They all agreed that had it not been
for the impassioned appeal of a certain Koufite woman of the
opposing camp the battle would not have lasted so long or taken such a heavy toll in blood.
"I well recall," said a member of the council, "how this
woman, mounted on a conspicuously red camel, harangued the
enemy and urged him on to battle. She is the Zarqa, daughter
of Adee and hails from Al-Koufa. She was indefatiguable on
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
the day of Saffeen. Wherever the lines of the enemy wavered
she drove her camel to their midst and steadied them. Her
words carried such magic force that the cowards were inspired
by them to new courage, those attempting to flee were turned
back to fight and the scattering ranks of the enemy were held
together so much longer. But for her, the friends of 'Ah would
have never resisted our onslaught for the length of time they
did or caused us so much loss."
All those present who had taken part in the memorable
battle acquiesced in the statement of the speaker, and in reply
to Mu'awiyah's question as to what they would advise should
be done to Zarqa, all favored putting her to death.
But the wise Mu'awiyah was indignant at such counsel.
«Fi on you and your ill advice," he said in reply. "Would you
have me, in the consciousness of my power, wreak vengeance on
a woman because of her loyalty to a doomed cause? Such, by
Allah, shall never be." And Mu'awiyah forthwith summoned
his secretary and dictated a letter to his agent in Al-Kouta ordering, him to have Zarqa sent to him to Damascus with some ot
the principal men of her tribe and that all should be provided
on the way with all possible conveniences of travel. Mu awiyah
was determined to again show the magnanimity of character, the
clemency, the benevolent statesmanship which made his reign
one of the most glorious periods of early Islam.
At the appointed time Zarqa reached Damascus and appeared before Mu'awiyah who greeted her most kindly and inquired after her comfort during the journey. The preliminary courtesies over, he asked her if she knew the reason he had sent tor
her and if she had entertained any fears, to which she replied
that she was at the mercy of the Caliph for him to dispose ot
her in accordance with his conception of justice.
"I have sent for you," said Mu'awiyah, "to ascertain from
vou if you were the woman who rode the red camel in the battle of Saffeen and harangued the followers of 'Ali to fight against
me, causing thereby so much more bloodshed among the faithful'?"
"Truth cannot be denied," replied Zarqa.
"But what prompted you to such an act?" again asked Mu'awiyah. ^^ ^ ^ Faithful," she replied, "the head has
n9w been severed and the body mutilated, so why revive dis-
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cussion in a subject that is only iiabie to cause sorrow and pain?
Just as night succeeds day, so do events succeed one another and
bring about different conditions. Whosoever gives a little thought
to different matters will not fail to discover the reasons thereof."
"What you have stated is all true, O aunt," said Mu'awiyah.
"But I would like, to have you repeat your harangues to the followers of 'Ali on the day of Saffeen. Can you recall them?"
"No," she replied.
"Then let me repeat them as best as I can recall that you
may be the judge of their authenticity. You were heard to say:
'O men, candle light cannot eclipse the sun, nor the rays of the
stars dim the brightness of the moon. You know that the mule
cannot outdistance the fleet horse, and that only iron is strong
enough to break iron. You are now fighting for a sacred and
just cause. Let anyone ask us our stand and we shall tell him
that Truth was seeking its course and has now found it in our
defense of our cause. Now you who claim the distinction of
being Immigrants and the Supporters of the Prophet, can you
not see that Justice has been established and that Truth has prevailed? Can it be that the righteous should be on a parity with
wrongdoers and the believers stand on equality with the unbelievers? To battle, then, in defense of right and justice, and
let your stand be that of men who are not found wanting in
courage! Fear you to be smeared with blood? Why, blood is
the ornamental dye of men just as henna is the ornamental dye
of women. Hold then your ground and let not the cohorts of
usurpation and injustice overcome you, for this is the day that
is pregnant with all the possibilities of the future, after which
there shall be no other day in which to retrieve a lost opportunity!'"
Having thus quoted the woman's words, Mu'awiyah asked
her if the quotation was correct, and upon receiving from her
an affirmative reply he said to her: "By your own admission, O
Zarqa, you have become a partner to 'Ali in all the blood he has
shed."
But to the surprise of Mu'awiyah and all those present, the
woman replied: "May Allah amply reward you, O Prince of
the Faithful, for the extremely good news you have just imparted to me in classing me with 'Ali. Truly, you are the fit
bearer of joyful tidings and the one who knows exactly what
most pleases his guests."
�I
THE SYRIAN WORLD
38
And upon recovering from his surprise, Mu'awiyah, still
the patient, forbearing, wise ruler he was reputed to be, asked
her: "Have my remarks truly caused you joy, and you would
feel" proud in sharing with 'All all the responsibility of the blood
he has spilled while fighting me, I who now show you such consideration?"
"Aye, by Allah," replied the woman, "your words have
pleased me exceedingly and I only wish that they could be made
" Mu'awiyah would want no more proof of the loyalty of
Zarqa to her chosen cause, but instead of wreaking vengeance on
her he expressed his admiration for her in no uncertain terms.
"By Allah," he said, "I admire more your loyalty to 'Ah after
his death than your love for him when he was alive. State now,
O Zarqa, your wants and they shall be granted."
But Zarqa would not state her wants. She seemed to further aggravate matters by saying that she had vowed not to ask
a favor of anyone save 'Ali.
"But do you know," said Mu'awiyah, "that many of those
who have checked up on your actions advised me to put you to
"Had you followed their advice, O Prince of the Faithful,"
she said, "you would have degraded yourself to their mean natures and lowly station."
_
"This we shall never do," replied the wise Caliph. Rather,
we shall pardon you and grant you our most favored protecL
* At this great display of forbearance, the haughty spirit of
the woman gave way to an expression of extreme gratefulness
and appreciation, and she replied: "O Prince of the Faithful,
this is but another indication of your great magnanimity. It is
only the likes of you who substitute forgiveness for revenge,
who overlook human faults and who give without being asked.
Whereupon, the great Mu'awiyah ordered that the woman
be given money and clothes in large quantities, that she should be
escorted back safely to her home city, that all her tribe be treated with consideration, and that she should be alloted, for lite,
the revenue of a plantation which amounted to sixteen thousand
dirhams annually.
�MARCH, 1928
39
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
A
THE EDITOR
of honest service has the salutary effect of
stimulating the desire to continue, to improve, and to increase.
This about represents our reaction to the many expressions of
approval received over the service being rendered by THE SYRIAN WORLD. It more than repays for the unsatisfactory financial return in the publication of the magazine.
And what is more gratifying
is the fact that appreciation
comes not only from individuals but from public bodies as
well. We can point with pride
to the fact that many organizations and patriotic groups not
only in the United States but
abroad also have shown tangible
proof of their appreciation by
making gift subscriptions to editors, legislators, government
officials and others whom it is
to the interest of Syrians to enlighten on their past history
and present conditions.
But the service of THE SYRIAN WORLD seems to be destined to cover a much wider field
than that confined to its English-speaking readers. The appreciation 'of some Arabic editors of the distinct value of the
original contributions appearing
PPRECIATION
in the publication is what makes
this possible. This is best illustrated in the case of AL-HODA,
the oldest and most widely circulated Arabic paper in America and one of the foremost in
the world. Mr. N. A. Mokarzel, editor1 of AL-HODA, proves
his appreciation of the quality
of our subject matter by having
whole series of articles translated and republished in his paper,
giving thereby double value to
the service THE SYRIAN WORLD
is rendering.
We point to this fact with a
certain degree of elation because
we see in it proof that our labor
is bearing fruit of a certain
kind. So far we cannot testify
truthfully to receiving the hoped for amount of popular support. It was on that account
that we asked for a referendum
on the question of the subject
matter of the magazine. What
was determined by the replies
was that the policy and purpose
of the publication were overwhelmingly approved by the
educated class, but unfortunately this class, in point of numbers, is proportionately small.
What they can do,—what they
are doing,—is to consider themselves partners in the enterprise
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
countrymen to collective action.
He personally attended the
trial before Judge Smith in
Charleston and had several
private interviews with him.
Now, apropos of the publication in THE SYRIAN WORLD of
a historical review of the case,
Mr. Mokarzel writes reminiscently of an interesting conversation which he had with Judge
Smith on the ethnological qualifications of the Syrians for adJVAR. N. A. MOKARZEL, editor mission to America and their
of AL-HODA, contributes an eligibility for citizenship. On
interesting detail to the history general grounds, Mr. Mokarof the fight which the Syrians of zel reminded the judge that
the United States waged to es- the Syrians were a branch of
tablish their eligibilityf or Amer- the Semitic race and that Christ
can citizenship. As can be de- was a Semite. "Would the
duced from the history of the learned judge, therefore, excase given by Mr. Jos. W. Fer- clude from America the racial
ris, the fight was precipitated by kins of the One who gave to
the obstinacy of Judge Henry America its very religion?"
A. M. Smith in refusing to, adMr. Mokarzel states that
mit that Syrians were free white
persons within the meaning of there was no hesitation on the
the naturalization law. That part of the judge in declaring
was in 1914, and the Syrians emphatically that "If Christ
all over the country were arous- Himself were to apply for cited as never before in their his- izenship he would deny it to
tory to defend their national Him."
Quite a strong statement inhonor. They wanted to prove
deed.
The judge must have
themselves deserving of the
high privilege of becoming made it during the heat of argument in a moment of extreme
Americans.
A leader in the fight at that vexation. We would not at
time was Mr. N. A. Mokarzel. this late moment bring him to
Both through his influential pa- bar; for having delivered himper and by his personal efforts self of an expression so irrehe helped crystallize Syrian sponsible. But it is interesting
public opinion and arouse his to learn the extent of passion
so that financial returns will
make possible the continuation
and the widening of the service
—this service which is considered by them indispensable. In
time, we hope, we shall be able
to announce that the business
side of the enterprise is proving
equal to the appreciation it is
now receiving from the educated class.
'
I
H
�MARCH, 1928
which prompted the jurist to
assume the attitude which precipitated the controversy. At
that' time there had been no revival of the Ku Klux Klan
movement, but those were the
smouldering fires which were
destined to burst into flame
later.
41
he treats the subject mainly
from the American, Western,
point of view.
We feel sure our readers will
enjoy the short stories of Mr.
Ford as much, or even more,
than they enjoyed his serial,
"Anna Ascends", which was
published in the original play
form as it was given on the
And what
J-JARRY CHAPMAN FORD, who New York stage.
should
be
of
particular
interest
is well known to readers of
is
that
we
have
Mr.
Ford's
THE SYRIAN WORLD, contributes to this issue an original promise to contribute liberally
short story which savors much of these fine stones in the fuof the spiritual and mystical. ture.
We can well imagine that Mr.
Ford's account is not that of QLOZEL and its vicinity have
an actual experience. His fersucceeded in gaining a good
tile imagination as an author deal of publicity. Perhaps the
and playwright may well be American press did not care to
depended upon to supply a plot. publish about the incident conBut it is interesting to study his nected with that French town
trend of mind in the roles he other than the details of the
assigns to the Syrian heroines scientific pontroversy which split
of his plays and stories. He the learned men of Europe into
is always picturing them of two hostile camps. Otherwise
highly intellectual and educa- we would have learned long
tional aspirations. A few im- since some of the reputed causes
aginary circumstances are, of for the perpetration of the
course, necessary to lend at- great hoax.
mosphere and complete the
We now learn from the Syrscheme, as, for instance, in the ian press, which in turn claims
case of the waitress in "Anna to have gained its information
Ascends" and the part time from the European press, that
stenographer in Greenwich Vil- those originally responsible for
lage. But we may be sure that the Glozel incident had carethe author's object is to bring fully engineered the scheme
out the finer intellectual quali- for purposes of publicity. They
ties of the Syrian girl as he has were interested in promoting
come to understand her, albeit the locality as a winter resort,
�"'wmii i
'j
42
and to add to its many attractions they concocted the scheme
of making it a suitable field
for archaeological research.
If this be true, little did the
sponsors of the move dream
that their scheme would lead to
such a bitter controversy where
scientists of rank are now concerned more in the vindication
of their reputations than in the
intrinsic virtues of the place.
The way matters seem to be
now going, the dispute is bound
to be settled in court.
As descendants of the old
and honorable Phoenicians,
whose great contributions to
civilization are being challenged
by the Glozelians at such a late
hour, we can but assume a policy of watchful waiting.
It
seems/ unnecessary for us to put
up any defense of the claims
of our ancestors, as developments in the Glozel controversy seem to amply take care of
that, the latest development
being that a sudden raid on a
certain farm in Glozel by an
anti-Glozelian savant and seven
officers of the law yielded unmistakable evidence that some
of the discoveries bore inscriptions of very modern origin.
The spurious nature of the finds
is not contested by the Glozelians, but they ascribe it to underhanded methods by their
opponents to discredit them.
So, in the end, both the pros
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and cons are reaching a point
where they will both agree that
beneath the whole affair there
is a streak of fraud.
There is an Arabic adage
that says: "Let pottery break
up itself." The moral of this
is that pottery being fragile,
hollow and possessing no inherent strength, will wreak easy
destruction upon itself when it
collides. This seems to be the
destiny of Glozelian aspirations,
while the claims of the Phoenicians seem to be moulded of
something much more substantial than baked clay.
of economic possibilities in Syria and Lebanon
cannot fail to appreciate the
value of the articles contributed
by our countryman Mr. George
Knaysi, of Cornell University,
and of which the one published
in this issue is the last of the
series. Mr. Knaysi is eminently qualified to give an expert
opinion, and he gives it without reservation, on the possibilities of dairy farming in Syria.
Just as the writer suggests, this
may prove to be a most profitable enterprise for the investment of capital. But technical
knowledge is also required and
that is where the scientific
training of such men as Mr.
Knaysi should prove to be most
valuable.
CTUDENTS
�MARCH, 1928
43
Spirit of the Syrian Press
I
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcoamic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
HOW
THEY UNDERSTAND
AMERICANISM
in the nation of which he has "become" a part, even though he were
to sew the naturalization certificate
into his skin!
You who have just been invested
with the new cloak of Americanism;
Go to any museum and ascertain
who belittle yourselves and your anfor
yourselves how the Americans
cestors; who mock of your customs
take
so much pains in preserving
and traditions; who make no secret
of your disgust with life and cir- everything Oriental, be it of manucumstances simply because you were scripts, statues, extiles, books, coins
not born in a country other than and all other objects of art. Can
Syria, we ask you to check your you not stand before these relics
speed a little and give matters some and recall that you are the descendants of a people who were the misconsideration.
Tarry, O please tarry a while and sionaries and apostles of civilization
reflect on the folly of your actions, and progress to the whole world
for what you are doing is altogether in their days ? While you who were
foreign to the true spirit of Amer- not able to regain your lost glory
icanism. Can you not realize that have scattered in all parts of the
Americanism which requires the world adopting now the citizenship
renunciation of your former citi- of this country, and then that of
zenship and allegiance does not the other, much like water which
necessarily require that you renounce takes on the color of the vase in
also the virtues of your race and which it is placed.
whatever you have of worthy cusVerily we say unto you, now, totoms and traditions? Can you not morrow and forever, that he who
see that this nation which you so fails to find in the history of a coungreatly admire is composed of noth- try such as Syria sufficient cause
ing less than various racial elements for pride in the face of the whole
extracted from the Old World from world, will not be of much gain to
which you also have come?
Americanism in such a case. Be*** The man who fails to appre- cause every true American is a true
ciate the beauty spots of the nation man, and the true man is he who
of which he "was" a part may nev- loves the beautiful wherever it is
er be expected to detect these spots found. Hence, the Syrian who is
�44
ashamed to proclaim in public his
racial origin will only give cause
to America to be ashamed of him.
Respect yourselves, then, you
who do not understand the true
American spirit either in whole or
in part.
And you may well be sure that
if you are unable to feel proud in
being Syrians you will be equally
unable to feel proud that you are
Americans.
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Feb. 14, 1928.
PURITY OF LEBANESE BLOOD
There is a sprinkling of foreign blood in every nation, but the
Lebanese are among those nations
whose blood is purest, and this because of a manifest reason: They
were never in the direct course of
conquerors in their sweep over the
country, but were always at a safe
distance, entrenched in the fastness
of their mountainous strongholds.
Even Alexander the Great would not
attack Lebanon because of the
strength of character of its inhabitants and the resoluteness of their defense of their mountain. The Egyptians, Chaldeans and others followed
the same course in the ebb and tide of
their military movements and were
satisfied at all times to seek their
way along the shores, at the base of
the mountain, refraining from any
attempt at subduing the inhabitants
by a determined pursuit to the summits.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Feb. 23, 1928.)
IN MEMORY OF WASHINGTON
We Orientals mays well profit
of the three outstanding characteristics of Washington: his loyalty,
sacrifice and perseverence.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
How salutary it would be for our
leaders to forget everything but
these three virtues and take them
as their guiding torch in the service
of the nation. Then it would be possible for us to point out the leader
and say: "Behold the Washington
of the East and the honest servant
of his people," instead of simply
saying: "This is the great leader,
the pen and sword wielder... etc."
And well may our pseudo-leaders
remember that it would have been
possible for Washington to have
himself declared king with the right
of succession reposing in his heirs,
but he resolutely refused, while they
only use their avowal of patriotism
as a means for obtaining appointment to office or seeking personal
gain.
They would do well to learn a lesson in nobility of character from
Washington when he wrote on the
occasion of his election to the presidency: "I feel as though I were a
condemned man being led to execution."
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
THE CHRISTIAN POWERS
FAVOR MOHAMMEDANS
Fidelity to truth compells us to
state that the Christian powers,
without exception, favor the Mohammedans and show extreme solicitude for their interests whether
they be in Syria, Arabia, Russia,
Afghanistan, or any other country.
Christians, therefore, who lull
themselves into the belief that this
or the other of the Christian Powers will give them protection and
champion their interests are laboring under false hopes.
Every one of the Christian Powers
is bent on the promotion of its
I
�MARCH, 1928
own interests and will sell the
cause of the Christians who
place their hopes in her at the cheapest price when it comes to a question
of self interest.
You say that the English protect
the Christians. Pray, can anyone be
blind to the partiality of the English to the Mohammedans? Who,
then, furnished the Druzes with
arms and ammunition in their last
revolt ? Would it have been possible
for the Druzes to procure arms
from outside of Syria had it not
been for the helping hand of the
British?
»1
And the French. Do you think
they are much better than the English in this respect? Study them
in Syria and find out for yourselves
how they sell a thousand Christians
for the mere smile of a Druze or
Moslem leader. Just see how they
treat the notorious Druze rebel, Ali
Oryan, while they turn a deaf ear
to the piteous appeals of the Christian sufferers of Druze barbarities.
The same applies to all other
Christian Powers, including Germany
and Italy, Who can forget the stand
Emperor William took with the Mohammedans ? His words at the tomb
of Saladdin in Damascus in which
he challengd the right of Christians
to remain in Mohammedan countries
are history.
It behooves you, then, O Christians of Syria, to be courageous and
firm in the defense of your national
interests and to place no dependence
upon this or that power because,
as the adage goes, none can better
scratch your skin than your own
nail. And if you do not rise in defense of your own rights your cause
will be surely lost and you will be
facing certain destruction.
(Syrian Eagle, N.Y., Feb. 10, 1928.)
45
OUR STAND IN THE
CONTROVERSY
There remains no further excuse
for us in maintaining silence. AlBayan is with the revolution on an
-ancompromising stand.
Why do some simple-hearted people want us to assume a passive attitude when we find anarchy rampant in the ranks of the revolutionary workers? There is not a mail
from abroad but is filled with circulars from this or that faction each
denouncing the other and blaming
it for the continuation of the controversy.
Now that we have pursued these
circulars and acquainted ourselves
with the causes of dissension among
the ranks of the Nationalists, we
can categorically declare that the
failure of peace negotiations must
be placed directly at the doors of
the Lutfallahs and their followers.
We would not hesitate, therefore,
to declare that complete separation
from these people is imperative.
How long do those who counsel
silence want us to maintain an impartial attitude? They would want
us to suppress the facts from our
readers for fear of arousing the
ire of our enemies. This we shall
not do in the face of all that we
read in the Egyptian press of what
is going on abroad. We declare ourselves unequivocally to be on the
side of those whose say should be
the first in such matters, and they
are those who persevered in the
field incurring daily danger and untold privations, and not those who
live in Egypt and Palestine enjoying all luxuries of life from riding
automobiles to sleeping in silken
beds...
Is it possible that thousands of
valiant patriots should be undergo-
�SSHHB
46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
ing the direst privations and the however, that a cable was sent to
constant dangers of warfare in the the Committee from Detroit conveydesert, while others are safely lodg- ing the decision of the New Syria
ed amid the luxuries of civilization, Party in America to revoke its auand that the latter should claim thor zation of Toufic Yazegy to repthat the say is thoirs and the shap- resent it before the Committee.
ing of national policies their privil- (Yazegy was a delegate to the conege? And in face of all that they vention of the New Syria Party in
would have the brazenness of de- Detroit in 1927.) While another
claring that they have deposed the cable communication was sent the
Syrian Delegation in Europe and Committee from Argentine forbidcable the League of Nations that ding Dr. Shahbandar from reprethey would soon send to Europe a senting the Arab National Party of
new delegation to represent the Syr- Argentine so long as there was division in the ranks of the Nationalian Nationalist Party?
Thisr indeed, is more than could ists.
In view of these facts, we find
be borne with honor. It is for this
reason that we cannot agree with ourselves unable to adhere to any
those who would have us maintain policy of silence. We have seen
silence. And why the silence when enough acts of bad faith calculated
news of the dissension between the to bring injury to the Nationalist
Nationalists has covered the earth. cause. We therefore believe it is
To mainta-n silence in view of the our duty to stand by the faction
situation would be construed as rank Which is true to the cause and is
prosecuting the struggle for the
cowardice.
One of the most ridiculous acts liberation of the country. We are
of the Lutfallahs and their clique with the delegation which for years
was their deposition of Sultan Pasha has represented the cause in Europe
Atrash as leader of the Syrian re- competently and honorably and
volution. In one of the statements whech is composed of Emir Shakib
given out by the Syrian Bureau of Arslan, Ihsan Bey Jabiry and Riadh
Information in Cairo, the agency of Boy Sulh. We will not recognize any
the Lutfallahs, we read the follow- other which the Lutfallahs may aping: "The Executive Committee of point to enter into bargaining negothe Syrian Revolutionary Party does tiations with France to the detrinot recognize a man by the name ment of the country. The Lutfallahs
of Sultan Atrash or one by the name have no object in view but to exof Adel Arslan, nor does it recog- ploit the Revolution to their own
nize the existence of the so-called benefit. They would give all the
committee of the revolutionary victims of the Revolution as a price
for a throne in Lebanon.
high command."
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
In another statement the Bureau
announces that it is in receipt of
WHY IS IMMIGRATION
cable advices from Europe, America
RESTRICTED
and Syria approving the action of
*** It is not conceivable that the
the Committee in revoking the auUnited States should harm itself
thority of the Syrian Delegation in
in order to accommodate the immiEurope to represent it.
grants who are flowing into it from
The facts of the situation are,
ft
)
\
�MARCH, 1928
1/
n
r
e
1-
\
I
3_
>f
P C'
V-
1
K
1id
ny
en
ed
ist
rf .
;
|
IS
on
is
the
ire
ars
ape
ind
kib
idh
any
apgotriahs
exown
the
nee
128.)
; the
tself
nmifrom
'f
B
all parts of the world. Economic
conditions in the country are not
what could be desired, and to permit unrestricted immigration would
only tend to make them worse.
The United States could not be
held to blame for adopting this
policy any more than England,
France, Italy or Germany. We hear
no voice raised in protest against
any of these countries.
Is it not strange that the Syrian,
for instance, should blame the United States for barring him from entry into the country and not blame
his own government or that of the
Mandatory Power which heaps indignities upon him and drives him
out of his own country while letting
down the bars and permitting the
influx of shiftless strangers to come
and establish permanent homes in
the land, as is the case with the
Jews in Palestine and the Armenians in Lebanon?
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Feb. 8, 1928.)
f
/
.
*
',
AS IN THE EAST,
SO IN THE WEST
Our steamer stopped at Charleston, W. Va., on its way to Jacksonville» Fla. Here the tourist is treated to a strange sight. No sooner
does the ship weigh anchor than the
longshoremen swarm about dancing
the Charleston and vociferously asking for tips. When small change is
thrown to them they scramble for it
like a pack of street urchins. Some
even go to dangerous limits in leaning over the dock to catch a piece
of money thrown to them.
Nothing worse than this is seen
in any of the ports of the East.
Where in the East poverty-stricken urchins clamor for the "bakshish"
we find here in Charleston men who
receive good wages for their day's
47
work stoop to this low level.
Though the subject may seem
trivial, I feel I owe this in defense
of the East against the preposterous
representations of some American
tourists and missionaries who feel
no scruples in exaggerating what
they witness of these superficial incidents in the East with the object
of promoting their own personal interests and creating a market for
their books.
Nations are not judged by their
longshoremen and urchins, nor by
their muleteers, camel-drivers and
even dragomen.
Every nation has its intrinsic
character which should be sought on
its proper throne and in its native
abode, and not in alleys and by-ways,
or in the plains and the forests of
the country.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1928.)
SELF-INTEREST VS.
PATRIOTISM
The clift in the ranks of the Syrian Nationalists, as represented by
the Executive Council of the SyroPalestinian Committee, gives us a
sorry lesson in patriotism as against
self-interest.
Although we differed with this
committee in principle, we had cherished the hope that this might be
the forerunner of a new era in collective action among the Syrians.
It has now become evident that
at the bottom of all these efforts
there was the motive of personal
benefit. Even Emir Shakib Arslan
had proposed terms of a treaty with
France which M. de Jouvenel thought
preposterous. Now we are treated
to some revelations which make us
despair of any such hopes as we
had previously cherished.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y.f Feb. 16, 1928.)
�•—
THE SYRIAN WORLD
48
About Syria and Syrians
he spent visiting historical places
of interest in the city and in the
afternoon attended the military review held in his honor.
President of Republic Takes Part in
Nine o'clock in the evening was
Ceremony at the Syrianthe time set for his visit to the
Lebanese Club.
Syrian-Lebanese Club. He was received at the door by the President,
The Syrian-Lebanese colony of Mr. Naman Turk, and other officers
Santo Domingo feel justly proud of of the organization and escorted to
the distinction of being the only the main reception hall under a
foreign group in that capital to have triumphal arch entwined with AmerColonel Chas. Lindbergh pay them ican, Dominican and Lebanese flags.
a special visit at their club rooms
Ten minutes later the President
while in the city, on Feb. 4. The of the Republic appeared in person
description of the event as given by unannounced and unexpected at the
the secretary of the club and pub- club rooms of the Syrian-Lebanese
lished in some of the Arabic papers Club to the great embarrassment of
of New York runs as follows:
the officers and members who were
Saturday, Feb. 3, word was receiv- profuse In their apologies for not
ed that Col. Lindbergh would take having received the President in
off from San Juan, Porto Rico, for proper ceremony. The President,
Santo Domingo and immediately the however, said that he decided he
capital was astir with preparations would take part in the reception of
for his reception. He arrived on the Syrian-Lebanese colony to Col.
schedule and was welcomed to the Lindbergh in testimony of his percity and country by the President sonal esteem both for the hosts and
of the Republic and high officials of their guest.
the government.
The Club had a special medal
The public celebrations staged struck in honor of Col. Lindbergh
for the visiting King of the Air which was pinned on his breast by
were memorable. When he was es- the president. The medal bore on
corted to the American Legation one side the date of Col. Lindbergh's
there was a procession in his honor visit and on the other the official
in which thousands of young women emblem of the Club, the Cedar of
took part in the most alluring cos- Lebanon. Accompanying the medal
tumes.
was a scroll testifying that the ColNext morning, Col. Lindbergh at- onel was elected an honorary memtended a special service at the old ber of the Club for life.
church of the Holy Virgin which was
In reply to the speeches of welbuilt during the time of Columbus,
come,
Col. Lindbergh said that he
and from there he visited the great
regretted
the limited time of his
landmark which is said to have been
stay
in
the
city but that he heartily
built by Columbus himself for his
appreciated
the demonstration of afresidence. The rest of the forenoon
II
SANTO DOMINGO SYRIANS
WELCOME LINDBERGH
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Favored by fertility of soil and climatic advantages as the most suitable section of Syria for
dairy farming.
(See Article on Development of Dairy Farming in Syria and Lebanon.)
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�MARCHy 1928
fection shown him by the Syrians
and Lebanese and that he would carry pleasant recollections of his visit
to them all his life.
The Colonel later attended the
official ball given in his honor by the
government and on the morning of
Monday sped away in the Spirit of
St. Louis in the direction of Haiti.
SYRIANS EVERYWHERE
GREET FRENCH FLIERS
\
"You may quote us unreservedly
that wherever we went we were received most cordially and enthusiastically by the Syrian-Lebanese colonies. We shall never forget their
cordiality and their expressions of
friendship and admiration on every
occasion we met them. I should say
that the Syrians and Lebanese were
more than cordially enthusiastic —
their receptions to us were simply
marvelous."
This was the statement made by
Captain Dieudonne Costes and Lieutenant Joseph Lebrix to a representative of The Syrian World who interviewed them upon their arrival in
New York on their epochal air flight
around the world. The Arabic newspapers of Brazil, Argentine, Uruguay, Mexico and other Latin American countries had published accounts of the reception of the Syrians and Lebanese of those countries to the French fliers, and although the Syrians of New York
did not organize any public demonstration in their honor owing to the
heaviness of their program in the
city, The Syrian World sought to interview them to learn their impression of their receptions by Syrians
and Lebanese in other cities. Their
statement, reproduced above, given
with all the fiery enthusiasm of the
49
French nature, bespoke their earnestness.
The French fliers were presented
with a special medal struck in their
honor by the Syrian-Lebanese colony
of Mexico City, and were feted and
given many tokens of love and admiration by the Syrians of other
countries of South America where
they made stops. In Panama they
were presented with two fine gold
fountain pens.
Syrian papers of South America
state that had it not been for the
limited time at the disposal of the
French world fliers many more testimonials of honor and welcome
would have been shown them.
GIBRAN'S PROPHET
A RELIGIOUS SERVICE
On Lincoln's birthday, Feb. 12,
the church of St Marks on the
Bowerie in New York was crowded
to overflowing for the afternoon
services when, according to previous
announcement, there was to be an
enactment of the scenes of Gibran's
book, The Prophet, The services
were conducted by Dr. Guthrie, the
well-known modernist of the Episcopal Church who has introduced in
his program of church services classical interpretive dancing in defiance
of his superiors. The actor impersonating the Prophet was Mr. Reynolds, while the leader of the group
of female dancers was the daughter
of Dr. Guthrie.
The Prophet is the best known
work of our gifted author and artist, G. K. Gibran. It is ranked among
the best sellers in works of its class.
Rather, according to As-Sayeh, an
Arabic newspaper of New York, it
is considered by some to be Becond
only to the books of revelation in
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
50
its spiritualistic, mystical and ethical teachings.
The large audience was visibly
moved by the excellence of the interpretation, and at the conclusion
of the performance Mr. Gibran received the hearty congratulations of
his numerous admirers.
a personal friend of Gen. Calles,
President of the Republic, and one
who enjoys the highest esteem of
government officials and the better
class Mexicans.
OLD TYRE SEEKS TO ENLARGE
Tyre, the one-time mistress of
the seas and the commercial capital
of the world in the days of the
AMBITIOUS PLANS OF
Phoenicians, seems now to have outLEBANESE IN MEXICO
grown its old boundaries.
If the new program of the LebaSituated or;ginally on an island
nese Chamber of Commerce in Mexi- connected with the mainland by a
co City is carried through, the Syr- narrow causeway it cannot find
ian-Lebanese colony of Mexico would sufficient room for expansion along
achieve the greatest result of col- modern lines within its ancient conlective effort so far done by any fines. The population, therefore,
similar community in America.
have signed a petition praying the
Al-Khawater, an Arabic paper of Lebanese Government to sell their
Mexico City, is authority for the city the vast dunes along the shore
\\
statement that the Lebanese Cham- which they would reclaim for buildber of Commerce, following the in- ing a new, modern city of Tyre,
duction into office of its new presi- which would follow the lines of a
dent, Mr. Jacob Simon, has announc- Western land development project.
ed that the main features of its new They only ask that the price of the
land be made reasonable inasmuch
program are the following:
as it is now a total waste and of
1—The formation of a special
committee for the promotion and benefit to no one.
The Lebanese press of Beirut reprotection of Syrian-Lebanese comports
that on the 22nd of January
mercial and industrial interests in
a delegation representing the TyriMexico.
ans waited on the President of the
2—The founding of a banking in- Republic as well as on the Minister
stitution which would be affiliated of the Interior and asked that their
w<th the National Bank of Mexico. demands, embodied in a petition
/
3—The publication of a daily news- signed by almost all the inhabitants
paper in both the Arabic and Span- of the city, be given favorable conish languages to defend the Syrians sideration.
and Lebanese in case of attack and
At present the population of
promote a better understanding of Tyre is about twenty thousand, but
them by the Mexican public.
with the revival of civic interest
The newspaper making this an- and pride in their old city they exnouncement adds that the new pres- pect that in a short time it will
ident of the Lebanese Chamber of grow into a flourishing port of
Commerce in the city of Mexico is Southern Lebanon,
;
�MARCH, 1928
NEW ENTERPRISES
GAINING IN SYRIA
Ancient Land Taking New Place
as an Economic Factor in
the Near East
A correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from Jerusalem under date of Jan. 20, gives the following summary of economic conditions
in that part of. Syria covered by the
French mandate.
Slowly but surely, he says, through
the aid of Government and individual enterprise, Syria is taking its
place as an important factor in the
economic development in the Near
East. New industries are being
founded, and the roads and general
condition of transportation are being
constantly improved. Part of the
fund formed from the revenue of
customs, which had been set aside
for the payment of the Ottoman
debt, is now to be used to carry into
effect and extensive scheme of public utility works, mainly road construction and irrigation. Good communication between the principal cities of the French Mandated States
and Iraq, and repair of the already
existing routes are included in the
program of construction that is to
be begun soon. Extensive irrigation schemes are also contemplated.
It is expected that about 25,000,000
francs will be used for these construction and irrigation projects.
Bee-keeping is one of the industries that shows prospects of a
bright future. As yet it is still carried on along primitive lines. Modern hives are practically unknown.
Those in use are usually made of
myrtle or basket work, and sometimes of clay. The largest yield of
51
honey is supplied from the section
around Alexandretta. The rich melliferous flora of the country really
permit of a much larger yield than
is now being obtained, and with the
gradual introduction of modern
methods, a large field for export
can be created.
It has been discovered that most
of the Syrian wheats are of the
hard grain varieties, and are therefore most suitable for the manufacture of macaroni. This industry was
first begun in Syria as far back as
1875, when a small and primitive
workshop was established at Beirut.
The article produced was of an inferior quality. Today, factories for
the manufacture of macaroni, vermicelli, and similar products exist
in Beirut, Damascus and Aleppo.
Although the local product cannot
yet compare with the Italian, nevertheless the quality is constantly
improving, and there is an increasing tendency on the part of residents
to give preference to the local product.
What will serve better than anything else in bringing Syria to the
fore is the increasing development
of the Lebanese Summer resorts.
Mount Lebanon has been found to
be a most desirable Summer place,
and each season brings more and
more visitors, chiefly from Egypt
and Iraq. A Government Tourist
Development Committee has been
appointed, which is looking into the
matter of the improvement of conditions and facilities. It is estimated that about 12,000 tourists visited
the Lebanon last Summer, and with
the aid of an extensive campaign
which is soon to be launched, it is
expected that the results of the
coming season will prove even more
satisfactory.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
52
and my worship for the Arabic
language would prevent my consenting to take in marriage any other but a Syrian even if I have to
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, an Arabic daily spend my whole life unmarried.
paper of New York, has been con- Second, because the Syrian has the
ducting a contest as to what the highest consideration for his honor
Syrian girl would require of a hus- and loaths by his very nature the
band and what the Syrian man would extremes and excesses of Western
require of a wife. On Feb. 24 the civilization and the many pitfalls
contest was closed and the winners that are lurking in it. He would not,
announced, one from among the men therefore, permit himself or his wife
and one from among the women. The to follow the radical customs of this
winner in the choice of a wife de- civilization which are bound to lead
clared hia preference for the woman to unhappiness and perhaps separawho would retain the modesty, virtion.
tue and home-loving qualities of the
2—I would require that he be a
Eastern girl but who would at the
lover of Syria above all else with no
same time be endowed with sufficient
object in mind other than to work
human qualities to make life worth
for its progress and for its liberaliving with her. His essay could not
tion. He should be alive to this
be described as containing anything
prime duty towards his country realradical.
izing that she expects his assistance
But the girl adjudged the winner
as well as that of all other Syrians.
among the female participants in the
3—He should be well educated,
contest was a certain Miss Najla
imbued with advanced ideas and conwhose reply savors more of a paceding to the woman her inalienable
triotic essay than a discussion of a
rights. He must also be possessed
purely matrimonial problem. The
of the poetic gift and loving music,
judges may have been swayed more
although I would not require him
by these considerations than by the
to possess these gifts to the highest
intrinsic merits of the reply in ardegree. I would by that be assured
riving at their decision. It would be
that he is of a mild and sweet teminteresting to learn the real sentiperament and endowed with a senment of our girls of the SyrianAmerican generation on such a sub- sitive nature.
The young woman then goes on
ject, especially those who have been
to enumerate further requirements in
raised in purely American surroundthe man of her preference which are
ings. Could it be possible that the
prime qualifications of a husband to of a general character.
WHAT SYRIAN GIRL
REQUIRES IN HUSBAND
them would be those which the prize
winner in the Arabic paper gives expression to?
Following are extracts of the conditions which this Syrian girl lays
down as being of prime necessity in
a husband:
1 I want him to be a Syrian for
two reasons. First on patriotic
grounds because my love for Syria
J
LEBANESE PUBLICATIONS
NUMEROUS
Official statistics disclose the surprising fact that in the small Lebanese Republic, with a population
not exceeding six hundred thousand,
there are no less than ninety peri-
?(
�MARCH, 1928
odicals, or at the rate of one publication for about every 6,500 inhabitants.
In the city of Beirut, the capital,
there are 17 daily papers, 23 triweekly papers and 21 monthly magazines, while in the rest of the
country there are 17 weekly or semiweekly newspapers and 12 magazines.
I
il
ii
5
i
Statistics for other parts of Syria
are not available.
Judging by these figures one would
be inclined to believe that the Lebanese are voracious readers. The
fact is that with the exception of
a few old established newspapers
all others are of minor importance
commanding a circulation of hardly
a thousand each. Many of those
published outside of the capital are
in the nature of country papers
whose main dependence is on their
circulation among the town emigrants abroad. And, may it be remembered, there are many unemployed literati who find the publication of a newspaper the easiest profession.
53
Arab families and made many
friends. She also spent some time
on a farm among the Bedouins,
where she was received with great
respect.
Since a Moslem woman cannot
leave her home without the permission of her father, husband or other
male relative, Dr. Essenberg realized that it would be necessary to
win the favor of the men first. This
she succeeded in doing. Her idea of
opening an American school for
girls was received with enthusiasm
by the Arabs. The Moslem men
were especially pleased to hear that
the founder of the school had no intention of taking the veils from the
women or of attacking their religion.
After long, patient waiting permission to open the school came.
Although the rebellions of 1925-26
were a great drawback, because so
many families fled from the city,
nevertheless Dr. Essenberg stuck
bravely to her post, and is now gaining rapid headway in her work. She
already has an enrollment of more
than 100 students.
She has been urged to undertake
similar institutions in other towns
of Syria and Palestine.
MOSLEMS OF SYRIA
EAGER FOR EDUCATION
How an American woman educator ingratiated herself with the Moslems of Damascus and established
there a thriving school for girls is
described by a correspondent of the
New York Times in Jerusalem
writing under date of Feb. 2. The
American woman is Dr. Christina
Essenberg who, according to the
correspondent, in order to better
acquaint herself with the home life
of the people, for the first five
months after her arrival she lived
at the home of a prominent Moslem.
Here she met most of the prominent
/;
(
END OF A HOAX
At last it would seem that the
rumors concerning the existence of
thousands of Arab and Syrian war
prisoners in Singapore, under conditions said to be worse than slavery, have been put to rest. A reputable Syrian merchant of Horns who
recently returned from Singapore
ridiculed the rumors as being utterly
without foundation. He based his
assertion on personal investigations
conducted by himself and other Syrian merchants of Singapore when the
rumors reached them.
�=
=
THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
EGYPTIAN MINISTER
ENTERTAINS OFFICIALLY
Syrian Violinist Plays Before
Distinguished Audience
in Washington.
The society columns of Washington and New York papers of Jan. 29
last carried long reports of the elaborate dinner-entertainment given by
His Excellency the Minister of Egypt
and Mme. Samy Pasha in honor of
Vice-Pres. and Mrs. Dawes the evening previous, and at which the visiting Syrian violinist to America,
Mr. Sami Shawa, gave selections of
Oriental music which were declared
to have met with much favor by the
distinguished audience.
Besides the Vice-President and
Mrs. Dawes, other guests were the
Secretary of the Navy and Mrs.
Curtis D. Wilbur; the Secretary of
Agriculture and Mrs. William M.
Jardine; Senator and Mrs. Hiram
Jones; Senator and Mrs. Royal S.
Copeland; Senator Arthur Capper;
Representative and Mrs. John Q.
Tilson; Representative Edith Nourse
Rogers; Representative and Mrs. Sol.
Bloom; Lady Drummond Hay, of
London; Mrs. Mayo; Mr. and Mrs.
Peter Drury; Mrs. Fitzsimmons; the
Secretary of the Legation, Ramses
Bey Chaffey; the Attache of the
Legation Mr. El-Eissy and Mr. Nour.
Mr. Shawa had been invited to
other receptions of a similar nature
where his recitals were highly appreciated as giving a most favorable
interpretation of Oriental music.
Mr. Shawa has returned to Egypt
the latter part of February, and it
is expected that he will pay another
visit to the United States within the
present year.
LEBANESE OPPOSE
LEGALIZED GAMBLING
Strenuous efforts are being made
by a group of financiers to obtain a
concession for public gambling in
large hotels at different Summer resorts in the mountains of Lebanon,
according to the Jerusalem correspondent of the New York Times.
It appears that several attempts
have been made by a small group
of Parliamentarians to pass a bill
through the Lebanese Parliament
for legalizing gambling, and on each
occasion the bill has been defeated
through the sentiment of the people.
Public opinion is now alarmed,
owing to the attitude of some French
high officials at the Haut-Commissariat, who, notwithstanding the denials of the French representatives
at the League of Nations, appear to
approve of the measure. Only lately
the Secretary General, while acting
as High Commissioner pro tern, as
well as the French representative to
the Lebanese Government tried to
influence Parliament to make gambling legal. The matter is still
pending, however, and with public
opinion so strongly opposed to the
plan that it is believed such concessions will not be granted.
i
w
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE GLOZEL CONTROVERSY
The controversy over the Glozel
relics which are claimed to prove
the discovery of the art of writing
long before the times of the Phoenicians has, according to Paris dispatches of the latter part of February, caused so much bitterness
among two factions of French savonts that definite charges of fraud
in the matter have been taken to
court.
',
I
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•
�MARCH, 1928
I
Dr. Felix Regnault, President of
the Prehistoric Society of France,
declared that the society has given
him full powers to file the complaint
on its behalf. The society has been
discussing this action for the past
three months, he explained, for since
last August it has been fully satisfied that frauds were being perpetrated at Glozel. Finally, being anxious to check the discredit which
discussions of Glozel were bringing
upon French science as well as exploitation of the public, the society
decided on action.
In his recourse to the law, Dr.
Regnault, in company with seven
policemen, raided the Fradin farm
at Glozel and there discovered idols
and other objects which had just
come from the oven and were apparently made by a novice. They also
came across a stone supposed to
have Glozelian inscriptions but which
the owners of the farm said had been
used around the farm for knocking
down nails...
4
1
'
.
I
f
rail communications in Syria, but it
is stated that the French High Commissioner is reserving this right to
the Lebanese Government in the hope
of launching building operations immediately an agreement can be
reached with the government of
Syria on the question of allotment
of costs which are to be drawn from
the joint customs receipts of the
two countries.
Late reports indicate that work
on this important line will begin not
later than Spring of the present
year. It is being represented to the
government of Syria that the new
railroad will be the means of drawing a large number of tourists to the
country who are now prevented from
visiting it by lack of direct communications between Syria and
Egypt and Syria and Europe. The
line will extend along the coast of
Lebanon and connect with the existing lines in Palestine and those of
northern Syria, thus affording the
means of continuous rail travel
from Calais in France to Cairo,
Egypt.
THE TRIPOLI-NACOURA
R. R. IN LEBANON
Will Supply Link for Direct Rail
Communications Between
Europe and Egypt
Si!
55
The Lebanese Government has under advisement the construction of
a Railroad to connect the city of
Tripoli, in the north, and Nacoura
which is one of the southern borders
of the country below Tyre and only
a short distance from Haiffa in Palestine. A group of capitalists known
as the Sursuq-Lutfallah syndicate
is negotiating for the concession of
building and operating the new line
which is considered a vital link in
NEW IMMIGRATION
QUOTA FOR SYRIANS
President Coolidge submitted to
the Senate on Feb. 27 revised figures
for the "national origin" basis on
which immigration quotas would be
founded, beginning with July, 1928.
Under existing law, immigration
quotas after that date are to be fixed
according to tables worked out by
a special committee under the supervision of Secretaries Kellogg, Hoover and James J. Davis.
Such "national origins" estimates
were sent to the Senate in January,
1927, but, after criticism, were withdrawn and on Feb. 27 the President
submitted the revised figures.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
56
Under these figures the Syrian nition of Lebanon. The Lebanese
quota is raised from 100 to 125. press of Beirut reports that the cable
Turkey's quota is raised from 100 had been received and ordered entered in the records of Parliament,
to 233.
Palestine, although geographical- but action on it had been deferred
ly a part of Syria, enjoys a separate until the Mandatory authorities
quota, being given the minimum fig- would have studied the matter.
ure of 100. Previous to the World
War both Syria and Palestine were
SYRIA NATIONAL HOME OF
cited under the general classificaARMENIANS?
tion of Turkey.
The Syrian press reports that the
Readers of The Syrian World will
Commission of the League of Narecall that the Lebanese newspaper
tions studying the conditions of ArAl-Hoda, published in New York
menian refugees in Rumania, BulCity, had advocated that Lebanon be
garia and Greece advises the removassigned a separate quota inasmuch
al of some fifty thousand Armenians
as it is politically indepenednt of
to Syria, Palestine and TransjordaSyria and should be recognized as
nia. A section of the Syrian press
such in making immigration allotcomplains that Armenians already
ments. Al-Hoda has also been agiin the country are more than it can
tating the question of the political
absorb with safety and asks if
recognition of the Lebanese RepubFrance and the League of Nations
lic by the United States and other
wish to make Syria a national home
Powers. No announcement has been
for the Armenians and bring on it
made lately by Al-Hoda of the result
additional economic complications to
of its efforts.
aggravate the conditions which have
It will be recalled that Mr. N. A.
Mokarzel, editor of Al-Hoda, had en- prompted a serious increase in emitered into correspondence with the gration. The fear is expressed that
French Ambassador in Washington the Armenians will soon become not
and also cabled the Lebanese Par- only an economic problem but a
liament on the matter of the recog- political problem as well.
Political Developments in Syria
A New Syrian Government
A special cable dispatch to AlBayan of New York, organ of the
Syrian Nationalist Party in the
United States, carries the announcement that Sheikh Taj Ud-Deen AlHusni, one of the prominent leaders of the Nationalist movement, has
been appointed President of the
State of Syria to succeed Ahmad
Nami Bey, styled the Dmaad, or the
Sultan's son-in-law. The news was
hailed in Nationalist circles as a
signal victory for their cause, because of their opposition to the former president who was accused of
being a tool in the hands of the
French, while the new president is
reputed to be a staunch Nationalist
and one who had formerly refused
the same office except on his own
terms.
BHHMHv-
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�MARCH, 1928
I
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It is impossible at this moment to
set down the exact conditions under
which the new president accepted
office. In Nationalist circles it is
claimed that even since the time of
the former High Commissioner, M.
Henri de Jouvenel, he had held out
for a free hand in the conduct of
the government and for a complete
consent by the French to the Nationalist demands. The latest mail
arriving from Syria indicates that
negotiations were going on between
the former President, Ahmad Nami
Bey and the French High Commissioner, M. Ponsot, but these negotiations were supposed to have for object only the formation of a new
ministry whose personnel would be
more acceptable to the Nationalists
and at the same time be in sympathy with French policy. That the
friend of the French should be removed altogether and replaced by
one who is an outspoken Nationalist would indicate the advent of
something radical in the policy of
France in Syria.
The Syrian Nationalists naturally
hail this as a signal victory to their
cause, and judging by the comment
of their organ in the United States,
they welcome it as a sign of a new
era of peace for Syria. This, after
what the country has gone through
during the critical period of the
revolution, appears to be the paramount desire in the minds of the
Nationalists, especially those who
had been engaged in actual hostilities.
The new President is described as
having a forceful personality who
had long been active in the politics
of his country. He is the son of
the Sheikh Badr Ud-Deen Al-Husni,
head of the Ulemas of Damascus.
During1 the French bombardment of
Damascus he opened his house to
57
refugees and did much to allay the
fears of the population. It is recounted that during the World War,
when Syria was held in the greatest suspicion by the Turks, Jamal
Pasha, the Turkish military Governor, held the elder Sheikh Al-Husni
in the highest veneration and respect and was in the habit of kissing
his hand when greeting him. The
younger Al-Husni, the new Governor of Syria, was then comparatively a young man, but even then he
was of a rebellious character and
would not approve of the Turk's
policy as applied to his country.
Jamal Pasha confided to some of
his friends at the time that this
young man would some day be the
man of the hour in Syria.
If, according to present indications
and to representations of Syrian
Nationalists, the new President of
Syria was able to dictate his own
terms in accepting office, then the
people of Syria are to have free
elections for their National Assembly, complete independence in the
conduct of government with France
supplying advisers only on the approval of the National Government,
and a promise by France to evacuate
the country at the expiration of the
treaty which would be entered into
by France and Syria for a limited
period of time. This is the gist of
the Syrian Nationalist program, and
how much of it has been granted
Syria by France will be more fully
known upon receipt of Syrian mail.
Nationalist Dissension.
The controversy among the executive committee of the Syrian Nationalist Party, with headquarters
in Egypt, is waxing hotter than before. Now echoes of the differences
have been brought to the attention
�5*
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the League of Nations by the act term political agitators and now
of the Lutfallah party which cabled claim to represent the Nationalist
the League that the Committee had cause without incurring the risks of
deposed its former delegation in Eu- battle. In a manifesto signed by
rope and would appoint a new dele- the Druze leaders and generals adgation to represent it in the near dressed principally to their supfuture. This came as the climax of porters in America, they complain
the bitter controversy which all ef- bitterly of the inaction of the Daforts to settle amicably failed. It mascenes and inhabitants of other
was brought about by the accusa- sections of Syria who are now claimtions of some members that the ing to speak for the Nationalists
chairman of the Committee, Emir "while they are engaged in the purLutfallah, had entered into bargain- suit of their business interests both
ing negotiations with the French in Syria and abroad and living in
to effect a compromise on the de- safety and luxury." The manifesto
mands of the Nationalists. He is shows no hesitation on the part of
accused of aspiring to barter the in- the Druzes to claim all the credit
terests of Syria for the throne of for the uprising in Syria for themLebanon. Lebanon, according to the selves, stating that they were the
defenders of Emir Lutfallah, could ones to suffer in lives and property
not be so tempting to a man of such and that the Syrians would not have
aspirations, as the country has al- even attempted to make a show of
ready committed itself to the repub- force had it not been for Druze relican form of government and is now inforcements. The Druzes, it is furstruggling in the most approved ther stated, had destroyed large
democratic fashion for the balancing French armies attempting to invade
of the budget, its latest move in this their mountain before anyone in
direction being its reduction of the other parts of Syria rose to arms.
ministry from seven to three mem- They held out later in the face of
great odds because they were loyal
bers.
As analyzed by some students of to their demands covering Syria as
the situation, the Syrian Nationalists a whole. Even when France offered
have now split into two distinct par- them advantageous terms following
ties, extremists and moderates. The the battle of Mezra'a they turned
faction of Emir Lutfallah, counsel- them down because of their loyalty
ing an amicable understanding with and single-mindedness. For these
the French to win as much as pos- considerations they show bitterness
sible of the Nationalist demands, towards the Syrian Nationalist leadare opposed by the other faction of ers of Damascus who would divert
the Executive Committee who would the financial succor coming from
continue the struggle to the bitter abroad to helping the remnants of
end in spite of the fact that the the Ghuta rebels instead of permitarmed revolution has been suppres- ting such assistance to reach the real
fighters who are now in exile in
sed.
An interesting development in Transjordania. Many instances are
these internal differences is that the cited where Druze revolutionists lost
leaders of the armed forces of the all their property and cattle and had
revolution are now showing extreme to borrow money on their personal
bitterness towards those whom they guarantee to purchase mounts and
I
�MARCH, 1928
H i
\
ammunition. This they mention as
one of their principal grievances because of the dire straits to which
they have been reduced.
On the face of it, this would indicate the appearance of a new element of difference between the
Druzes and their Mohammedan allies in Syria. It would seem that
the revolutionists of Syria are conducting negotiations with France on
terms unacceptable to the Druzes
and without consulting the desires
of the latter. There is also a plain
accusation of tampering with relief
funds because the Druzes emphasize
the fact that they have implicit
confidence in their relief committee
and would want their friends abroad
to place similar confidence in it so
that relief funds would be forthcoming uninterruptedly.
Incidentally, the Druzes state that
their losses in battle during the revolution amounted to three thousand
killed, not including women and children who met their death by causes
directly resulting from the war. The
number of those permanently disabled is also said to be large but
their exact number is not given.
The Situation in Lebanon.
A stormy session was staged in
the Parliament of Lebanon when
the new ministry took office. Dr.
Ayoub Tabet, Minister of the Interior, asked for a vote of confidence
and approval by Parliament of the
Ministry's program* and upon some
members favoring delay in taking
such a vote on the, plea of requiring
an extension of time for the proper
consideration of the program, the
minister threatened to resign and for
three times in quick succession left
his seat with the ministry and resumed his place as a plain member
59
of Parliament. Finally the President
declared a recess during which hurried arrangements were made to insure confidence being granted the
ministry.
Although accused of being a little
too impatient, the new Minister of
tihe Interior is, nevertheless, conceded to be a man of vigorous action
and energy. He is on good terms
with the press which lauds the
measures he plans to introduce for
the quick achievement of needed reform. He has already served notice
that court calendars must be cleared
within two weeks and invited the
public to call directly to his attention any flagrant cases of delayed
justice. He has also put an end to
public begging in the city of Beirut
and ordered all beggars from neighboring countries, such as Transjordania, Syria and Palestine, deported
from Lebanon forthwith.
The country appears to be still
restless under the frequent changes
taking place in the form of government. No sooner was the amendment to the Constitution approved
permitting tihe reduction of the
Council of Ministers from seven to
three than a movement was set
afoot asking for the dissolution of
Parliament in that it has ceased to
be constitutional. Immediately a
counter-petition was circulated accusing the makers of the first petition of pernicious motives and expressing confidence in the existing
republican form of government and
in Parliament. Some claim to see in
this move the hand of some conspirators who aspire to become princes
over Lebanon. The net result of these
moves and counter moves has been
to introduce a new element of uncertainty in the country which adds
to the demoralizing upheavals and
changes of the last few years.
�—-
60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
and endangering thereby a future
for the country full of promise. He
specifically refers to actions which
The latest mail reaching us from
in their nature would be incompatiParis furnishes partial details of the
ble with "political realities".
news already received by cable on
The dispatches conveying this inthe change of government in Syria.
formation
were sent from Beirut on
It would seem that conditions in the
Feb.
17,
and
on Feb. 20 other discountry have at last returned to norpatches
reported
that the new Presmal. Ahmad Nami Bey, the Damad,
ident
of
the
Provisional
Government
as already stated, has resigned, beof
Syria
had
in
turn
issued
another
ing succeeded by Sheikh Taj Udproclamation
promising
to
hold
the
Deen Al-Husni as Provisional Govgeneral
elections
for
the
Constituernor of the State of Syria, known
in the political division of the coun- tional Assembly at the earliest postry as the State of Damascus-Alep- sible date and that they would be
po. The French High Commission- conducted with the fullest freedom
er, M. Henri Ponsot, issued a pro- so that a constitution could be forclamation in which most of the na- mulated which would meet the
tionalist demands are granted. He wishes of the country and be in acpromises the early convocation of the cord with the obligations of the
National Assembly under a free Mandatory Power. He also advocates
electoral system and with full liber- the creation of an Interstate Comty to decide on the form of govern- mission to be charged with the regument for the country most acceptable lation of the economic relations beto the electorate, providing it does tween the different States. The new
not conflict with the duties of the Government is also in favor of abolMandatory Government as entrusted ishing the existing system of septo it by the League of Nations. At arate States and would replace it by
the same time, the censorship of the a centralized system of government
press is lifted, martial law abolished which would tend to foster a feeland a general amnesty declared, the ing of unity and cohesion. This, howHigh Commissioner explaining that ever, according to the proclamation,
the Mandatory Power had only should be undertaken in the friendawaited the opportune moment to liest spirit with no resort to coerprove to the people of Syria its good cion so that the ultimate result may
intentions by accelerating the return be achieved through complete wilof normal conditions now that the lingness and conviction. The wishes
armed revolt has been suppressed of the population of the different
and peace established on a stable States will be strictly respected and
basis. While setting no definite date if a general referendum should
for the general elections, the High prove abortive the Mandatory PowCommissioner assures the country er will be made the final arbiter.
The proclamation concludes with
that they will be undertaken as soon
as the proper machinery can be set the expression of the hope that the
Mandatory Power will enter into a
in motion.
There is, however, in the High treaty with Syria defining the mutuCommissioner's proclamation a note al obligations of the two nations
of warning to the Syrians against and setting a definite limit to
abusing their present opportunities France's occupation of the country.
LATEST INFORMATION ON
THE SYRIAN SITUATION
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
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NS 0002
Access Rights
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This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
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Identifier
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TSW1928_03reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 09
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1928 March
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 09 of The Syrian World published March 1928. The first article presented in this issue, written by Ameen Rihani, discusses the traditions of Arabs and their mythology, specifically Gods and Jinn (nature's tribe of spirits). Next is a short story translated by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin. Titled "The Perfect Brother," it is a story that discusses Allah. Next is an informative article by George Knaysi about the development of dairy farming in Syria and Lebanon, a continuation of his discussion on the agricultural situation in the Middle East. Following it is a poem by G.K. Gibran titled "Said a Blade of Grass," a poem about nature and the seasons changing. Following it is an article detailing certain reports on the developments in Palestine specifically industrial, population, economic, and agriculture improvements. Next is part two of the article discussing Syrian naturalization in the United States by Joseph W. Ferris. There is a short story titled "The Meeting," and another story adopted from Arabic called "The Clemency of Mu'awiyah," Second Caliph from the Umayyad clan. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Arab press and political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
George Knaysi
Harry Chapman Ford
Kahlil Gibran
New York
Palestine
Poetry-English
Salim Alkazin
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/b07828d5834b209c0169b7a63beb929b.pdf
fc86225a6c0bcd2a48582c33ebef5709
PDF Text
Text
T...
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
FEBRUARY, 1928
No. 8.
CONTENTS
\\
PAGE
Syrian Naturalization Question in the United States
JOSEPH W. FERRIS
Earthquakes in Palestine and Syria
3
12
DR. BAILEY WILLIS
The Egyptian Violets
(Poem)
DR. SALIM
17
Y.
ALKAZIN
The Sword of Emir Bashir
18
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
European Greed in the East
21
SIMONE FRANCE
Glimpses of Life in Syria
24
The Syrian Little Elower
24
A Book of Religion
25
�CONTENTS. (Contmued)
(
WIT, WISDOM AND HUMOR
The Way of All Mortals
A Simple Process
2f
2r
A Quick Transformation
p<
The Value of Relationship
Daringl
2
2
Beyond Number
2<?
The Coveted Refrain
2
The Stipulation
On Caution
"Anna Ascends"
(Play)
2<
/
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
i
Arab Proverbs
J
T'.'
i
Notes and Comments — By THE EDITOR
\
Readers* Forum
^
Spirit of the Syrian Press
47
About Syria and Syrians
52
Political Developments in Syria
50
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
Masonry in Palestine and Syria
The First and Last Scene
Emir Bashir Shehab
The Sword of Emir Bashir
:
i
���I
THE
|
I I
.
I \
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. II. No. 8.
FEBRUARY, 1928
i * t
I
Syrian Naturalization Question
in the United States
CERTAIN LEGAL ASPECTS OF OUR
NATURALIZATION LAWS
By JOSEPH W. FERRIS
Footnotes by DR. PHILIP K. HITTI
PART I.
I
A vital question which confronted the Syrians in the United
States has in all likelihood been finally determined. Considerable discussion had arisen respecting the provisions of our Naturalization Act and its applicability to Syrians, more especially,
Section 2169, Revised Statutes, United States Code, Title, 8, Section 3599, which declared and still declares that the provisions
of the Naturalization, Act "shall apply to aliens being free white
persons, and to aliens of African nativity, and to persons of
African descent".
All others are excluded from the privilege of naturalization
and thereby citizenship.
So far as Syrians are concerned, it has been judicially determined that they fall within one of the classes to whom is accorded the privilege of citizenship.
A resume as brief as possible will be made of the several
cases which discuss the question and of the decisions which settled
it once for all.
IS
�4
EBRUA
THE SYRIAN WORL
— SHAHID CASE —
Unde
ig to the
N heir desce
/ould it r
Prior
,kvhich heL
;
EX-PARTE SHAHID (District Court, South Carolina,
1913, 205 Fed Rep. 812), was perhaps the first case which in
anywise discussed the matter adversely to the eligibility of Syr
ians, but, as will be noted, the decision in that case was no
grounded on the interpretation of the Statute with respect t
"free white persons".
Faras Shahid presented his petition for naturalization in th
IN 1
District Court, Eastern District of South Carolina, before Henry
Georgia, ]
A. M. Smith, District Judge, sitting at Charleston, S. C. Ac
arisen on
cording to his statement he was fifty-nine years old, born i
rom Mt.
Zahle, and a Christian. He wrote his name in Arabic, but coul
I answeri
not read or write English, and spoke and understood Engl J
ly, whicl
very imperfectly. This is illustrated by his answer to the qu ^
e Domi
tion whether he was a polygamist or a disbeliever in organize
ultan of
government, which he answered in the affirmative. He yr
vithin the
unable to understand in English the purport of the questio;
o race ra
asked. His wife and most of his children were still living i \
lid not co
Syria and he desired to be naturalized so as to bring them to th
le world
country.
He c
The Judge, in describing him, said that his color* was a
Turk
that, of walnut or somewhat darker than is the usual mulatto
i
the
ma
one half mixed blood between the white and the mixed races
Of his own volition, the Judge raised the question of whet
er a Syrian of Asiatic birth and descent was entitled to be admit
Thei
ted to citizenship and after discussing the phrase "free whit
Court,
M
persons" said that without determining this question, he woul
f darri was
deny the petition on the ground that Shahid should not be
by race.
mitted upon his own personal disqualifications.
Itention tc
It is interesting to note the trend of the Judge's though)
I he would
with respect to "free white persons" insofar as Syrians were coil
II leave the
cerned.
Low
He was of the opinion that the Statute was most uncertain
nology,
v
ambiguous and difficult both of construction and application. '
ibe classed
him the meaning of "free white persons" was "to be such
, larri was
would naturally have been given to it when used in the fi
j rfree fro
Naturalization Act of 1790".
;
Jong adrr
* A superficial consideration of the color of the face does not in its,
The
constitute a scientific basis for race classification. The effect of the r
5LLIS (
is an element in the case. The Hindus belong to the White Race but
U002).
cause of the semi-tropical climate are darker than Nortih Europeans.
1
V
�11
FEBRUARY,
1928
5
Under his interpretation it would mean all persons belonglg to the European races, then commonly counted as white, and
}i heir descendants. It would not mean the "Caucasian" race nor
/ould it mean the "Aryan" race.
Prior to the Shahid case there had been several decisions
/kvhich held that Syrians were eligible to naturalization.
S
h
— NAJOUR CASE —
IN RE NAJOUR (Circuit Court, Northern District of
Georgia, Dec. 1st, 1909,174 Fed Rep. 735), the question had
arisen on the application of Costa George Najour, who came
rom Mt. Lebanon, near Beirut, and Newman, District Judge,
j answering the objection of the Assistant United States Attorty, which was based upon the fact that Najour was born within
e Dominions of Turkey and was theretofore a subject of the
ultan of Turkey, held that Syrians were "free white persons"
vithin the meaning of the Statute, and that the Statute referred
] o race rather than to color, and that fair or dark complexion
lid not control. He considered the Syrians as belonging to what
ie world recognized as the White race.
He overruled the objection and granted the application.
Turkey, to use the Judge's words, did not "cut any figure
1 the matter".
— MUDARRI CASE —
V
Then there was the case IN RE MUDARRI (Circuit
Court, Massachusetts, Jan. 8th, 1910, 176 Fed Rep. 465). Mudarri was born in Damascus and testified that he was a Syrian
by race. The United States Attorney on the hearing called attention to Mudarri's birthplace and presumed race, stating that
he would neither approve nor oppose naturalization, but would
[leave the allowance thereof to the judgment of the Court.
Lowell, Circuit Judge, after quoting the old writers on Ethnology, who, he said, substantially agreed that Syrians were to
be classed as of the "Caucasian" or "White" race, held that MuI larri was eligible, and was of the opinion that the question was
I
Vfree from considerable doubt". He said that Syrians had been
Jong admitted to citizenship and granted Mudarri's petition.
Thereafter the question again arose in the cause of IN RE
iLLIS (District Court, Oregon, July 11th, 1910, 179 Fed Rep.
1002).
�. —
,
—...
ai
6
THE SYRIAN WORLD
FEBRl
— ELLIS CASE —
Tom Ellis was a Syrian Maronite, who lived near Beirut,
and whom the Judge called a native of the Province of Palestine.
He must have come from Mt. Lebanon.
On the hearing of his application before Wolverton, District Judge, the issue of eligibility was raised. The Court held
that Ellis was of Semitic stock, "a markedly white type of the
race", citing Brinton's Races and People, pp. 99, 105, 132, 167}
Keane's World's People, pp. 307, 310, 335, 337} Beniker's
Races of Man, pp. 4, 23.
From these references, the United States Attorney admitted that Ellis "was a member of what is known as the 'White' or
'Caucasian' race".
The Naturalization officers of the United States did not
contend that Syrians did not belong to the "White" race. Accordingly the Court held that Ellis was a "free white person"
and was entitled to admission to citizenship.
As heretofore stated the question thereafter arose in the
Shahid case, (supra). After the decision in the Shahid case,
there was presented before the same Judge Smith in the District
Court of South Carolina, the application of George Dow for
naturalization. (IN RE DOW, 211 Fed. Rep. 486, February
18th, 1914).
that un
was not
n
was, to
white p
R26, 179
i
H
<
that th<
was wh
althoug
, ticular J
ed the
person':
Europe
Dc
the Stat
tion wa:
Tl
througr
ing in
' TRICI
April 1
— DOW CASE —
Dow was a native of Batroun, Syria, and had performed
all the necessary formalities and was, as the Judge said, "apparently from his intelligence and degree of information, of a
general character entitled to naturalization".
In color, he was said to be "darker than the usual person
of White European descent and of that tinge or sallow appearance which usually accompanies persons of descent other than
purely European".*
The Court referred to its discussion in the case of Shahid,
stating that the personal objections to the admission of Shahid
and upon which rejection was based in that decision, did not apply to Dow. If rejected, he could only be so upon the ground
* Such reasoning is superficial and unscientific. The hair, facial angle,
and cephalic index are very important anthropological considerations—in
addition to the color. Culture, and history should also be considered.
\
Tl
T.
Carolin
tions.
terestin,
Court r
the par
humilia
by the
| they co
\ "White
>
In
the Coi
an Asia
I as conte
utes. .'
m
�I
j
FEBRUARY, 1928
7
that under the Statute, by reason of his nativity and descent, he
was not entitled to be admitted as a citizen of this country.
The Judge went on to answer the question presented, which
was, to use his language, "is a Syrian of Asiatic birth, a free
white person within the meaning of the Statute approved March
26, 1790?"
-.
He held Syrians were not, giving as a basis of his reasoning
ithat the admission of a foreigner to the privilege of citizenship
was wholly a matter for the People of this Country, and that
although Dow may be a free white person, he was not that particular free white person to whom the Act of Congress had donated the privilege of citizenship, and that the term "free white
person" was restricted to persons of European habitancy and
European descent.
Dow, being an Asiatic, did not come within the terms of
the Statute in the Judge's opinion, and accordingly, his application was refused.
This decision raised considerable discussion and controversy
throughout the Syrian communities in the United States, result; ing in an application for a rehearing. (IN RE DOW, DIS' TRICT COURT, SOUTH CAROLINA, 213 Fed Rep. 355,
April 15, 1914).
— REHEARING, DOW CASE —
The various Syrian-American Associations were represented.
T. Moultrie Mordecai, an attorney of Charleston, South
Carolina, appeared for Dow and the Syrian-American Associations. The decision on the application for rehearing is most interesting, and, of course, was rendered by Judge Smith. The
\ Court referred to the deep feeling that had been manifested on
the part of the Syrians, of what had been termed by them the
humiliation inflicted upon them, and the mortification suffered
by the Syrians in America because of the previous decree which
| they construed as deciding that Syrians did not belong to the
"White Race".
In answer to this, he said that such was not the decision of
the Court, and that the decision was that a modern Syrian was
an Asiatic and was thus not included in the term "white persons"
as contained in Section 2169 of the United States Revised Statutes. In his opinion there was no justifiable reason for .either
�.
8
MBStt.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
FEBR
humiliation or mortification; the grant of the privilege of citizenship was purely discretionary with the People of the Country
and that such a privilege should be refused was no real ground
for humiliation because Congress had seen fit in his opinion to
exclude Syrians from a privilege that he said was denied to Chinese, Japanese, Malays, Mongols and American Indians.
It was not a question of a superior or inferior race and the
applicant was excluded only because he was an Asiatic and not a
European. Whether he belonged to the White Race or not was
not decided as not being pertinent to the issues. The arguments
presentel on Dow's behalf, he classified as follows:
spectio
standa
(1) That the term "White persons" in the Statute meant
-persons of the Caucasian Race" and not persons white
in color.
(2) That Dow was a Semitic or a member of one of the
Semitic nations.
I
(3) That the Semitic nations are all members of the
"Caucasian" or white race.
(4) That the matter had been settled in favor of the
Syrians as European Jews had been admitted without
question since the passage of the Statute and that the
Jews were one of the Semitic people.
(5) That the history and position of the Syrians,
their connection through all times with the peoples
to whom the Jewish and Christian peoples owed their
religion, made it inconceivable that the Statute could
be intended to exclude them.
In his attempt to answer these contentions, the Judge reasoned as follows:
The term "White" denoted color. Construed literally, the
Statute might be interpreted to mean such a person as under the
ocular inspection of the Court seemed to be white in color. Did
the standard of white to be adopted by the Judge apply to the
clear white of the Scandinavian or the swarthy olive or brown
of a person from the South of Portugal? Disease and other causes
sometimes cloud and darken the purest skin and lighten the darkest. Therefore, manifestly it would be impossible for a Judge
to determine whether an applicant is a white person by ocular in-
Cau
of t
�—
FEBRUARY, 1928
mmm
9
spection. Besides, no two Judges could agree upon the same
standards or grade of colorization. For these and other similar
reasons the strict "color test" was to be repudiated.
As a substitute some Courts had followed what may be termed the test of Race, viz: the words "white persons" being construed as meaning persons of the "White Race". He then went
on to answer the question, What is the White Race, or What
was known as the White Race in 1790? He said most of the
Courts that had attempted to deal with the question had referred
to the white race as the "Caucasian" Race, and then discussed the
term "Caucasian", citing BLUMENBACH, and quoting HUXLEY
on how Blumenbach came to use the designation "Caucasian".
This quotation is interesting and is as follows:
"0/ all the odd myths that have arisen in the scientific World, the "Caucasian mystery" invented quite
innocently by Blumenbach is the oldest. A Georgian
woman's skull was the handsomest in the collection.
Hence it became his model exemflar of human skulls,
from which all others might be regarded as derivations; and out of this by some strange intellectual hocus-pocus, grew up the notion that the Caucasian man
is the prototype (Adamic} man and his country the
primitive centre of our kind."
Judge Smith then went on to speak about the philological
development leading to the coining of the word "Aryan" taken
from the Vedic or old Sanscrit and Zend, and claimed that the
ethnological and historical absurdity of this development was
apparent.
Under this process of reasoning he reached the conclusion
that there was no such race as the "Caucasian Race" and that
therefore the whole argument based upon the Syrian being one
of the Caucasian race fell to the ground.
In his opinion, not only was the Syrian not a member of the
Caucasian Race but it did not appear to him that a Syrian was
of the Semitic race.
t
In this respect he referred to the history of Syria. Syria,
he said, generally included all that part of Asia lying East of the
Mediterranean Sea, South of the Amanus branch of the Taurus
range of mountains, West of the Arabian or Syrian desert and
North of the boundary of Egypt, — north of a point somewhat
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
over one hundred miles south of Jerusalem.
He then reasoned that an inhabitant of Syria was not necessarily Semitic, referring to the Hittites as possibly a Mongolic
Race* and subsequent thereto, the occupation of various parts of
Syria by people speaking a Semitic tongue, such as the Phoenicians and the Arameans (ancient Syrians) and the Hebrews, and
thereafter, the Persians and the Greeks, and the Mongolian invasion under the dynasty of Jenghis Khan, and finally the
Turksf. He then asks the question, — "Now of what race are
the Syrians?"$ and says that they no longer speak Hittite or
Phoenician or Syriac or Greek, that they spoke Arabic, but that
this did not show them to be Semites, for so do the Berbers and
Moors and Egyptians of North Africa. They did not speak
Aryan or Indo-European j they might be, in his opinion, a mixture of every race that had possessed the Country^ but of what
race, he could not say.
Mere habitancy in a Country by another race is not of itself proof of descent from that race. Thus, there was no known
ocular, microscopic, philological, psychological, or historic test
that could settle the question of the race of the modern Syrian;
but the applicant, and his associates, who appeared as representatives of the Syrians before the Court, were certainly Asiatics in
the sense that they were of Asian nativity or descent and were
not Europeans.
t;
He says that the so-called Semitic races may be superior
races to the so-called Indo-European; that their spiritual and intellectual legacy to the World may be of a higher value, but
that these circumstances did not justify their inclusion with the
latter as one branch to be styled "Caucasian".
As to the claim that the admission of the European Jew
to citizenship would include the admission of the Syrians, as
* The Hittite tribe, which became the focus around which the Hittite
empire developed, is now supposed to have been of Caucasian and not Mongolian race.
f Jenghis Khan and Tamerlane were invading conquerors who swept
over the land but did not colonize it any more than Attila colonized Europe
in the fifth century A. D. Likewise the Turkish blood never flowed in Syrian veins though the Turks were the masters of the land for four centuries.
t They are mixed—like all other peoples—but the basis is undoubtedly
Semitic. The Semitic Arab element was the last one to enter into their
make-up.
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both are Semites, he held that a Jew born in Asia was not entitled
to citizenship.
The argument that Christ appeared in the form of a Jew
and spoke the Semitic language, he said, was purely emotional
and without logical sequence.
He thus brushed aside all of the contentions made on Dow's
behalf and decided that "white persons" to the average citizen
of the United States in 1790, meant Europeans and only referred to Europeans, and if the applicant was a member of the peoples who inhabited Europe and therefore regarded as white, he
was entitled to naturalization. If he be otherwise, he was not,
and if he be an Asiatic, whether Chinese, Japanese, Hindoo, parsee, Persian, Mongol, Malay or Syrian, he was not entitled to
the privilege of citizenship or naturalization, no matter what his
fitness otherwise may be.
After having discussed these various questions at great
length, the Judge uses the following words:
"Whether he is of a White race, or whether the modern Syrians are racially or intrinsically free white 'personsy or whether any other Asiatic people is also of
white race is not decided as not pertinent to the issues
of the application. All that the Court decides is that
the applicant, not being of European nativity or descent, is not a white person within the meaning of the
naturalization statute."
In closing, Judge Smith hoped that an appeal would be
taken to settle this most vexed and difficult question.
(What the Syrians did, and what was the final outcome of
this struggle for recognition, will be discussed in the March issue
of THE SYRIAN WORLD.)
FROM THE ARABIC
A man is judged by his speech.
A man is hidden underneath his tongue.
A wise man's wealth is in his knowledge; a fool's wealth is
in his money.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
Earthquakes in Palestine and
Syria
By
DR. BAILEY WILLIS
of Stanford University, California.
A camel stepped. The sand shook. An anthill fell. And
the ants ran about, panic stricken, crying: "The End of the
World is come."
A mountain slipped. The rock trembled. A village crumbled. And men ran about, panic stricken, crying: "Our God
punishes us for our sins. The End of the World is come."
Men who reason not are but as ants. Their houses are
as of sand. Even as the camel passes on, so the Earth and
Moon and Sun roll on in their appointed courses under the Law.
The foolish perish. But the wise build not as of sand. Even
as the bird who weaves her nest firmly, they tie the walls together and live without fear of the trembling foundations.
Palestine and Syria have often been shaken by earthquakes.
The oldest records tell of the destruction of cities, of Sodom
and Gomorrah for instance. Only yesterday we experienced a
similar, though a very much lighter shock. Others have occurred from time to time at frequent intervals during the past 4000
years cf which history tells. What has been, will be. Earthquakes will startle our children and our children's children to
the remotest generation just as surely as the sun will rise and
set, the seasons will come in their turn, or eclipses will darken
the day.
An earthquake is not a strange phenomenon. It is not something unusual. In all the world there are about nine thousand
earthquakes every year. A very few of them shake down villages or one may destroy a city. More of them frighten people.
Most of them occur under the oceans, where we detect them
only because we have instruments that record the vibrations of
the globe.
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FEBRUARY, 1928
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So an earthquake is a natural thing. But what is it then?
Has it any connection with volcanos? Yes, sometimes volcanic
explosions make the earth vibrate and so cause little earthquakes.
But no explosion, however violent, is powerful enough to cause
a great earthquake.
What force then is sufficiently powerful? Elastic energy
gathered in rock under very great pressure can be great enough.
We must think of a very large mass of solid rock, a mountain
block, or even a mass as large as all Palestine. We must imagine
the rock to be as elastic as steel. We must realize that it can be
pressed out of shape and may snap back like a steel spring.
To give a well known example: In 1906 northern California was shaken by a severe earthquake. A fissure appeared. It
was not an open crack. It was merely a long straight line in
the earth. It was traced along valleys, over mountains, along
the coast for a distance of 180 miles, nearly 300 kilometers,
or as far as from Beirut to Gaza and beyond. It was found that
trees which stood on the fissure had been split apart. Fences
which crossed it had been broken and the ends had slipped past
one another. They had moved as much as three meters and in
one place as much as seven meters from each other, horizontally.
But the fissure remained closed.
It was thus made evident that two great blocks of rock, at
least 300 kilometers long and probably 50 kilometers deep, had
slipped past each other. Before they slipped they had been
pressed tightly together. In trying to slip they had been pressed out of shape. And in slipping they had sprung back like an
enormous steel spring. Then the earth trembled.
How is it in Syria and Palestine? In the rocks of Lebanon
and Mt. Hermon, as in those about Jerusalem and in Transjordan you can find shells of creatures that lived in the sea. Thus
it is evident that the mountains have been pushed up out of the
sea. They not only have been pushed up, but are still being
pushed up. They are slipping up and up, a very little at a time.
But each time they slip, they snap, they tremble and there is an
earthquake.
Our earliest records of earthquakes in Syria and Palestine
are as ancient as four or five centuries B. C. In the last century the list of greater shocks includes for Syria: 1822 (Aleppo,
Antioch), 1823 (Antioch), 1830 (Aleppo), 1845, 1859, 187273 (Sueidije, Antioch, Aleppo, Beirut) j and for Palestine 1896
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(Jerusalem, Sea of Gallilee, Haifa), 1900 (Jerusalem, Nazareth, Haifa), 1903 all Palestine and central Syria, 1927 (Ludd,
Ramleh, Jerusalem, Nablus, Jericho, Es Salt, Amman).
These different shocks were not equally violent. Considering only the greater ones we may recognize one a century, approximately, and we should expect at least that number of very
severe ones. The minor shocks which have been recorded have,
however, all of them thrown down some houses and have endangered life and property. They may occur once of twice in
the average life of a man. He should guard himself and his
family against them. If he will not, then the administration
should require him to do so. For the danger of one is the danger of all and the public who walk in the street may be crushed
if a wall falls, as the family in the house.
How can we be safe in an earthquake is a question often
asked. The answer is: Live in a safe house. An earthquake
is not dangerous — by itself. It does not hurt a man if the
ground only trembles under his feet. Let him then curse the
man who built the wall.
If that were done 90 per cent, of the people of Syria and
Palestine would be cursing the builders of their houses, for ninety per cent, of the houses are so built that they will fall if struck
by a strong earthquake.
Do you live in a house whose walls consist of rounded or
irregular stones laid in dried mud? If so the walls are very
weak because the mud does not hold the stones firmly together.
When the earth shakes the mud cracks and the stones fall in a
pile inside the house or in the street.
Do you live under a native dome-shaped roof of stones
held in mud? Is there a thick pile of mud, stones and rubbish
over the dome? Then the dome is pushing out sidewise against
the walls. When the earth shakes the weight of the dome will
push the wall out and the dome will fall on your head, while
the wall falls in the street.
Is your dwelling a handsome one with outer and inner
walls of dressed stone, cut into closely fitting blocks, and is the
wall thick. Then you live in a sham house that looks strong
and is not. The smooth facing-stones rest on a sharp edge and
are bedded in dried mud. The space between them is filled
with mud and rubbish. The wall is no stronger than the mud
and you can crumble the mud in your fingers. How can it hold
�FEBRUARY, 1928
15
the weight of the stones when the structure is shaken violently
to and fro with the ground?
Do these weak walls support the floor beams and the roof?
Then the added weight increases the danger of their being crushed and shaken to pieces. How many have died under falling
floors?
Does your house consist of thin walls of cut stone laid up
with mud for cement? Then it is no stronger, if as strong, as
if the stones were laid up closely without the mud. For mud
does not cement stones. It itself is too weak and it does not cling
to them strongly. You think you live in a firmly cemented structure, but an earthquake is likely to show you that it is a pile of
loose blocks.
The great majority of the people of the villages and cities
of Syria and Palestine must answer "Yes" to these questions.
They do live in the buildings so described. What then is to be
done?
Left to themselves the great majority of the population
will do nothing. The careless owner of a house, whether he be
resident or landlord, will take a chance. He thinks the earthquake may not come or that it may not strike his village. The
years pass as the inevitable shock gathers force to strike. When
it does strike the careless man is ruined.
The careful man, be he resident or landlord of a house,
will wish to protect his property and the lives of those who inhabit it. He will examine it to ascertain how it is built. It may
be necessary to cut into the walls. He will consider what weight
the foundations bear and what the walls carry. He will examine the roof, whether it be a dome of stone, or a, truss of wood
or steel. Does it push sidewise?
Having found where the weakness is he will devise means
of strengthening it.
In general the parts of a building need to be tied together.
This is most cheaply and best accomplished with iron rods.
To tie the facing stones on opposite sides of a thick wall
together put short iron bars through the wall at intervals of 3 to
Sit. apart. Put a large washer on each end of the bar and press
it tightly against the wall with a screw nut. Conceal these with
a layer of lime stucco, if necessary.
To tie the opposite walls of a house together run iron bars
through the opposite walls clear through the structure from out-
�'".'
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
side to outside and secure them with washers and nuts. These
should be placed at each floor level and 5 to 8 ft. apart.
The channel irons so commonly employed as floor beams
can be used as ties, by boring a hole at the end of each beam and
running a rod through the successive holes from end to end of
the building.
A reinforced concrete course is sometimes placed in a wall,
either as a foundation or as a collar to support the second story.
As a foundation it is excellent. As a collar it does not add as
much to the strength as numerous crossties will, but if combined
with them it is an additional element of safety.
Where rods cannot well be run through a building iron
bands may be placed around it. A band should bend continuously round each corner and the ends of each of four sections should
meet on the sides where they may be drawn together with screws
and nuts. The object is to bind the structure firmly together.
There are one or two commonplace rules of masonry construction which have been forgotten, if they ever were practiced
in Syria and Palestine. When the Pharaoh required the Israelites to make bricks without straw, they rebelled. When a mason is required to lay stone without water, he should rebel. Mortar adheres and sets firmly on a wet stone. Mortar is wasted
on a dry stone for it does not adhere to it. The stone should
be soaked till the water penetrates quarter of an inch.
In good masonry it is always the rule to bond or tie the
whole mass together by breaking joints and by inserting long
stones or headers, which extend through the full thickness of
the wall. This practice should be rigidly adhered to.
To resist an earthquake a masonry wall should be as nearly
monolithic as possible j that is, though it be built of many stones
they should be so firmly cemented that they constitute a single
mass, equally strong everywhere. This is accomplished when
the cement or mortar is as strong as the stone and adheres to
them with as strong a bond. To secure the latter the stones must
be wet. To make mortar as strong as the stone it should consist
of freshly burned (not'airslaked) lime and sharp sand. It should
be no thicker between the stones than is necessary to bed them
firmly. Where stronger mortar is desired it can best be secured
by mixing the lime with one third its volume of cement.
These practical suggestions may help some to improve the
conditions of their old houses or to build more safely. They
�THE SWORD OF EMIR BASHIR
One of the most valuable heirlooms of the Shehab family, a gift to Emir Bashir from Napoleon Bonaparte, now in America.
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FEBRUARY, 1928
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cannot, however, replace the advice of competent engineers, who
may plan the details of any actual structure.
The problem is so large and its proper execution so important that.it should be made the object of studied, official regulation and rigid supervision.
"Safety first" should be the guiding principle.
The Egyptian triolets
By
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
Not far from the mines where the turquoise
Are found in the earth below,
'Mid the mosses that crown the wildwood,
The fairest violets grow.
A legend is told by the natives
Of how in the days gone by,
A maid left the queen's marble palace,
In the vale to live or die.
She wore on her bosom a lotos,
Fresh from the breast of the Nile,
That seemed to look up her beauty,
And say with a gentle smile,
"Where are you going sweet Seba?"
But she never answered a word,
As she jrouneyed on through the valley.
As swift as a frightened bird.
She died—and out from her beauty,
A bed of rich violets grew;
And deep in the earth beneath her
The turquoise had found its blue.
And forever, and ever and ever,
The violets will cast their bloom,
To veil from the land cf mysteries,
The darkness of Death and gloom!
. $m
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18
The Sword of Emir Bashir
A Syrian writer's account of how the ruling Prince of Mt. Lebanon came
into possession of the historic sword of Napoleon the Great.
The interesting history of the sword of Emir Bashir Shehab,
the ruling Prince of Mt. Lebanon, goes back to a day in the 18th
century when an officer of the Austrian army named Woermzer
was visiting in Russia and there met an only daughter of a Russian general famed all over the land for her beauty and accomplishments. Due to the rank and the distinguished family of
the Austrian officer, the parents of the Russian beauty hesitated
not at giving their consent to the marriage.
The father of the bride wanted to make his gift to his sonin-law both unique and precious. In the presence of the throng
of distinguished guests at the wedding ceremony he approached
the bridegroom and, holding a sword in his extended hand, gave
utterance to the following words:
"Not a single present could I think of making thee better
than this. Here is a sword that was produced by the master
craftsmen of Russia in the fifteenth century. On one side of the
blade is engraved the picture of the Holy Virgin, and on the
other the picture of the Holy Cross, together with some prayers
which if the owner of the sword recites before engaging in battle,
his victory over his adversary will be assured. Take thee now this
sword, my friend, and may thou carry it to honor and glory and
may the God our Father protect thee from all injury and harm."
The officer took the sword from the hand of his father-inlaw, kissed it reverently, then kissed his bride passionately, and
exclaimed in a voice almost choked with emotion:
"I swear by this sword that never shall I disobey your
wishes, dear father. You shall have occasion to hear of my
deeds while in possession of this sword, but if fortune should
forsake me and I find myself forced to surrender it, I swear by
my faith and by my military honor that never shall I surrender
it but to one who would surpass me in valor and would have
won more favors with the God of war and peace."
*
*
*
*
The year 1797 was a year of bloody wars in which the reac-
Ml
�FEBRUARY, 1928
19
tionary forces of Europe banded together to stem the tide of
danger arising from the French Revolution.
The French army, under the able leadership of Gen. Bonaparte, was not slow in taking tte offensive and carrying the war
to the country of the enemy. Very soon Napoleon had crossed
the Alps and crushed the opposing Austrian army and was at
the gates of the fortified city of "Mantou". It was a spirited
attack and a most determined defense, but the garrison had to
surrender finally to an overwhelming force.
The commander of the Austrian garrison was none other
than the husband of the Russian beauty and the owner of the
historic sword. He had been promoted to the rank of general
and was entrusted by his sovereign with the defense of Mantou.
He sent his priceless sword to the French general Bonaparte
with the following note:
"I have sworn not to surrender this sword but to one who
would surpass me in valor and would have won more favor with
the god of war and peace. Now I have found you to be the man
favored by destiny to vanquish me. Take then my sword and
enter the city."
The year 1799 was another year of bloody wars in which
the battlefield was shifted from the West to the East. Bonaparte, had invaded Egypt with his victorious army, and with that
country as a base overran Palestine and Syria in the hope of establishing an Arab empire over which he would be the supreme
ruler.
But ever-watchful England was closely following the movements of the young French General. She feared his entry into
Syria and took measures to stem the tide of his march. What
she did was to form an alliance with the powerful governor of
Acca (St. John d'Acre), Ahmed El-Jazzar, and place her fleet
and all her other military resources at his disposal.
Napoleon found himself, in consequence, sorely pressed for
a native ally. He searched the field and found that the mountain lion, Emir Bashir Shehab of Lebanon, was the nearest and
bravest. He therefore sent a proposal of alliance to the Emir
of Lebanon and made him a gift of a sword. With the sword
he sent the accompanying note:
"This is the sword which the commander of the Austrian
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
garrison of the fortified city of Mantou surrendered to me at the
time I attacked the city. Take it now, O Prince of the Mountain, as a gift from me in token, of loyalty and friendship. But
make haste to come to my assistance in the siege of Acca, as immediately we take the city you shall be proclaimed king of Lebanon »
The shrewd Lebanese prince, however, promised to enter
an alliance with the great Napoleon only after the latter had
taken the city of Acca. This did not happen and Napoleon had
to retrace his steps to Egypt after having experienced for the
first time the bitter taste of defeat.
Thirty years later the plains of Palestine were overrun by
an invincible army which crossed into the country from Egypt.
The commander of this army was Ibrahim Pasha, son of the
Lord of Egypt, Mohammed Ali the Great, who wished at this
later period to reenact the role in which the great Napoleon
had failed.
No sooner the Egyptian commander took Gazza than he
wrote to his friend Emir Bashir of Mt. Lebanon to be ready to
join him on the march to Damascus. The Emir had entered
into a secret alliance with the Egyptian ruler to join forces at
the proper opportunity which was now at hand. The battle of
Al-Mazza, which preceded the fall of Damascus, found him at
the head of his troops fighting side by side with the invading
Egyptians. The Emir wielded the historic sword of Napoleon
throughout the battle.
Following the victory, Emir Bashir called to him his son
Khalil and entrusted to him the custody of the sword in the
following words:
"This sword, a gift of the great Napoleon, is my most cherished treasure. I have carried it so far to victory but feel that
its mission is not yet done. Take it now as an insignia of your
generalship over my army and fight with it at the side of our
allies until the final victory. This sword is fit only for heroes
and none but heroes have carried it so far."
Emir Khalil carried out the bidding of his father and bore
the sword to victory throughout the battles that followed both
in Syria and Anatolia.
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Books and Authors
EUROPEAN GREED IN THE EAST
l
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L'Islam & L'Asie devant I'lmperialisme, by Eugene Jung, 314
pp. Marpon & Cie, Paris, 15 fr.
By
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SIMONE FRANCE
Inevitably, such a title as "Islam and Asia in the face of
Imperialism" summons to the mind a definite set of thoughts:
in the one hand, the perfect innocence, the passive martyrdom,
the intense suffering of Asiatic races and, on the other hand, the
persistent arrogance and boundless greed of imperialistic European nal'ons. Perhaps it is not doing justice to the profoundly
serious work of M. Jung to delineate as such the tendencies and
characteristics of those peoples of Europe, the Near and Far
Easts which M. Jung presents to us with an abundance of information and a wealth of documents that is enlightening and seemingly convincing. M. Jung, a former Vice-Resident of France
in Tonkin, is well qualified to obtain and present first hand information. Through his intimate contact and associations, he is
able to survey events from a point of vantage that gives him unusual perspective into the psychology of those peoples and the
motived that actuate them. These motives M. Jung ably analyzes
and interprets. But—for there is a but,—while it is generally
recognized that some methods and policies as practiced by the
countries M. Jung bears in mind,—namely France and England,
—should be openly criticised and rigorously condemned, it should
be as generously conceded that other methods and policies have
proved beneficial and valuable, and should be brought as forcibly
into the limelight of public knowledge, for they form the real
contribution of the European nations toward Asia.
Take Syria, for instance. The author wilfully points out the
mistakes committed by the French as evidenced by the actions of
politicians who went to Syria with a total misconceptioa of what
Syria was, who the Syrians were, what the Syrians wanted and
what chances and possibilities there were to bring about a close
co-operation between the mandatory power and the mandated
territory. Also what sort of approach would be more conducive
to a harmonious exchange of viewpoints, to bring about with the
�-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
22
least possible friction efficiency, progress and good-will in the
administration of the mandate in Syria. Very well, mistakes were
perpetrated, errors were made in Syria as the result of officials
misinterpreting their duties and responsibilities: these were the
politicians. But if, unfortunately, some functionaries were sent
to Syria who acted more like petty politicians than responsible
administrators, on the other hand there has been taking place in
/
Syria a tremendous piece of reconstruction, about which little is
ever being said. This consists of roads, waterworks, schools, improvements of agricultural conditions, etc., which is tangible evidence of the will of a mandatory power to conscientiously perform its duties and discharge its obligations. The task of the
historian is to show the two aspects of every situation that his
work may be impartially informative. The constructive aspect
of the French mandate in Syria, however, finds little recognition
in the otherwise valuable and sound book of M. Jung on Islam
and this naturally detracts somewhat from the feeling of the
positiveness of knowledge one derives from 'this scholarly work.
The general idea underlying M. Jung's work is that the
Nations of the East are getting together, not for aggression but
for defense. Religions also are treated, particularly Islam, which
has spread to all parts of the world and could, if harm were
done to it, bring to all great troubles.
M. Jung predicts the rapid renaissance of the Arab World.
He points out the erroneous point of view which attributes to
the Latins scientific, intellectual and moral superiority, whereas
powerful civilizations existed before the Latins which possessed
extraordinary political and social organizations.
Referring1 to the League of Nations, M. Jung expresses the
belief that it is an organization for the protection of the strong
at the expense of the weak.
He does not hesitate to take issue with the English who have
assumed protection of the French in Egypt, a country "where
France is at home by virtue of sentiment, culture and language.
The mission of Ibn Saoud is very well marked for him, i. e.y
the renovation of the Arab World by exploiting all the natural
resources of Arabia,—even were it necessary to call on European
help.
. .
• ,
T7
When it comes to Zionism, M. Jung's opinion is that England will, little by little, forsake the Zionists because it is her
aim and interest to court the friendship of the Arabs. The har-
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monious co-operation of the two Semitic races, Arabs and Jews,
would be a real menace to the United Kingdom for it would
bring the development of Arab countries with the financial assistance of the Jewry of the world resulting in political influence
in all capitals due to the Jews' influence.
Mustapha Kemal is decided, according to M. Jung, to exploit
the resources of Turkey, which will give him a chance to
\
escape the clutch of international finance.
To the North of Mosul, a country which remained in the
hands of the Turks, are located rich oil fields. Italy is negotiating for their exploitation, but Turkey is taking all necessary precautions to remain complete master of her wealth.
Though secular, the Turkish Republic, while keeping an
eye on Moslem affairs, is in close relations with Buddhism, and
though accepting Western customs and methods, is remaining in
intimate touch with Asia.
Persia, one of the oldest known kingdoms, has accepted the
railroad project between Teheran and Trebizond which constitutes a serious check to the commercial expansion and economic
homogeny of England. Curiously enough, Persia, the cradle of
the Aryan race, is the only country represented at the League of
Nations belonging to the Islamic world, which counts 400 million souls. A departure from the policy adopted in these last
years in Persia is evidenced by the fact that the American Administrator of the Persian Finance Ministry and some of the assistants have been replaced by German and Swiss advisers.
M. Jung has no kind word for the Soviets whom he openly
accuses of ceaselessly planning worldwide disintegration.
After discussing China, Japan and Russia at some length,
M. Jung then takes up the subject of Syria in the last chapter
of his book. He refers particularly to that period beginning with
1
May, 1926. France, as a great Mediterranean and Islamic Power,
has political and economic interests which require her to have
solid foothold in the Near East, and for these considerations
Syria presents alluring advantages. France, according to M.
Jung, minimized these advantages and undermined her prestige
when she first ceded to Turkey, on two occasions, Syrian territory. Further, it is pointed out, France made the mistake of
insisting on creating a Bank of Issue and imposing on, Syria a depreciated currency similar to hers, thereby draining the gold of
the country and ruining it.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
The keynote of M. Jung is in his advice to France to better
her position in Syria by sending to the country "More Administrators and Fewer Politicians."
GLIMPSES OF LIFE IN SYRIA
Sept Histoires dq Syrie, by Alice Poulleau, 187 pp., 10 fr.
gene Figuiere, Paris.
Eu-
Not all Frenchmen who go to Syria on literary quests return
with the bizarre and offensive. There are many instances where
French writers have treated Syrian themes in the most understanding and sympathetic spirit. They saw with the eyes of
friendship and wrote with the spirit of appreciation. And these
writers, although not always dealing with political subjects, go
far towards creating a true basis of understanding between the
Syrians and the French.
Mile. Alice Poulleau is one of those French authors who
see the beauty and the romance in Syrian life and bring to the
treatment of their subject the comprehension of the true artist.
In her book she gives seven charming stories dealing mostly with
simple, everyday phases of life in Syria, but treated in a manner
that brings out the charm that only the friend among foreigners
can perceive. The scenes are laid not in one city or section of
the country but cover a large area, permitting the reader to form
an idea of life and customs as they exist in different localities.
We have the permission of the author to translate and publish some of these stories which we promise the readers of THE
SYRIAN WORLD to do in the early future.
THE SYRIAN LITTLE FLOWER
Life of Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified, by Rev. Peter F. Sfeir,
Buffalo, N. Y., 48 pp.
Only a few months ago the three Syrian Maronite brothers
Massabiki, who met their martyrdom in Damascus during the
massacres of 1860, were beatified by the Catholic Church. Now
we are in receipt of a little book by the Rev. Peter F. Sfeir, a
Maronite missionary of Buffalo, N. Y., on the "Life of Sister
Mary of Jesus Crucified" whom we are told in the introduction
by the Rev. George A. Crimmen, chaplain of the Carmel of
I
�H
V
FEBRUARY, 1928
25
Buffalo "May be expected very soon to be elevated to the honor
of beatification." "The Sacred Congregation of the Rites," we
are informed, "has unanimously decided that in the writings of
the Carmelite Sister, Mary Baouardi, 'The Syrian Little Flower', nothing has been found contrary to the doctrine of the Holy
Church, and that nothing in her life would oppose beatification.
This decision has been approved by His Holiness, Pope Pius XI,
in his decree of the 18th of last May."
The book sets forth in detail the life of this Little Flower
of Syria comparing her favorably to her sister saint the French
Little Flower of Lisieux and gives withal the impression that
soon another Syrian will be raised to the eminence of beatification by the Catholic Church.
A BOOK OF RELIGION
Studies in the Greek Orthodox Church, by Very Rev. Anthony
Bashir, 342 pp.
The campaign to educate the Syrian-American generation
in the traditions, customs and religions of their ancestors seems
to have gained considerable momentum during the last two
years. THE SYRIAN WORLD was undertaken for the purpose
and in the manner already familiar to its readers. Also last year
there was launched by the Most Rev. Aftimius Ofeish, Greek
Orthodox Archbishop of Brooklyn, a monthly magazine in English, the Orthodox Catholic Review, for the declared purpose of
educating the Orthodox youth in America in their mother religion. Due to the inability of the young generation to understand, and to a certain extent, sympathize with their parents' outlook on religious matters, a publication of such a nature was
deemed imperative. And now we have before us a pretentious
book by the Very Rev. Archimandrite Anthony Bashir whose
title, "Studies in the Greek Orthodox Church", plainly indicates
its object. It, is written in English for the benefit of the young
Syrians of the Orthodox faith who are losing touch with their
mother church, and is dedicated by the author to them.
The book is in three parts,, the first dealing with the history
and the several divisions of the Church, the second with the
services and rituals as practiced in this Eastern church, while the
third is a catechism of the faith.
The present address of the author is 442 North 5th St.,
Terre Haute, Ind.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
. Wit, Wisdom and Humor
Culled from Books of Arabic Literature.
THE WAY OF ALL MORTALS
/
Baha' Ud-Deen relates the following about the fool of one
of the Arab villages which he visited:
"This fool," he says, "was an inoffensive sort of creature
who had a special fondness for visiting the graveyard.
"The inhabitants of the village, realizing his mental limitations and eccentricities, paid little attention to his movements.
"One day a stranger visited the town and was surprised to
learn that the Fool spent several hours every day seemingly
communing with the dead. He waited for him to return and
asked him:
"'Whence returnest thou?'
" 'From the camping grounds of a caravan,' he replied.
" 'And what manner of conversation didst thou have with
them?' asked the stranger.
" £I asked them,' replied the Fool, 'When will you depart,'
and they replied, 'Only when you come to join us'"
A SIMPLE PROCESS
A man was once overheard to ask, "Where are they who
renounce the world and seek the hereafter?" and one of his
hearers replied: "O man, simply reverse the order and lay thy
hands on whomsoever thou wishest."
A QUICK TRANSFORMATION
When Arabia was under the domination of the Persians,
Ibn Zorara, an Arab chieftain, sent his chamberlain on a mission
to the court of the great Persian monarch Kisra.
Presenting himself at court, the Arab messenger sent word
to the King that he was but a simple Arab seeking the boon of
JMHHMMHMMK"
�Mj
27
FEBRUARY, 1928
seeing him. He was admitted, and when the King asked him
who he was he replied: "I am the Lord of the Arabs."
"But," protested Kisra, "only a while ago you stated that
you were but a simple Arab,"
"True," replied the messenger. "Such was my status at
that time, but since the King has granted me the boon of an
audience I have become Lord of my race."
The Persian King ordered that the Arab be given his mouthful of pearls.
THE VALUE OF RELATIONSHIP
II
I
An Arab presented himself at the court of Mu'awiyah in
Damascus and said to the chamberlain:
"Tell the Caliph that his brother, of his own father and
mother, wishes to see him."
The chamberlain carried the message and Mu'awiyah was
much surprised, saying that he had no knowledge of the existence of any such close kin to him, but he ordered him admitted.
Once in the presence of the Caliph, Mu'awiyah asked the
man: "What is the degree of your relationship to me?"
And the man replied: "I am your brother by our original
father and mother, Adam and Eve."
"Very well," said Mu'awiyah, "I shall order the custodian
of the treasury to give you a dirham."
"Is this the extent of your munificence to your brother?"
exclaimed the man in surprise.
And Mu'awiyah replied: "My dear brother, if I were to
distribute my wealth equitably among all my relatives who are
descendants of Adam and Eve, you would not receive even this
much."
DARING!
A man was brought before a sultan for a crime he had
committed, and the sultan asked him: "In what manner dare
you face me?" and the culprit replied: "In the same manner I
shall dare face Allah, against Whom I have sinned more grievously, and Whose punishment is infinitely more severe."
The sultan pardoned him.
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
i
BEYOND NUMBER
A fool was asked: "Will you count the fools you know?"
And he replied: "This would be too long a task, but I can
easily count those who are not fools."
THE COVETED REFRAIN
Abou 'l-'Atahiah, a famous Arab poet, stopped at a bookshop and was engaged in reading an anthology of selections from
the works of the foremost contemporary poets of his time, when
he came across a single verse which he admired exceedingly and
repeated several times. It ran thus:
II
%
"Man's soul will not from evil ways refrain
Unless restraint come from within itself."
Abou 'l-'Atahiah asked to whom this verse belonged, and
when informed that it was Abu '1-Nawas', he exclaimed:
"Would that it were mine for half of all my poetry!"
THE STIPULATION
Upon Khakan, a vizier of the Caliph Al-Mu'tassim, being
taken sick, the Caliph wished to prove his great solicitude for
him and went in person to visit him.
Khakan had a bright son by the name of Al-Fathu, and the
Caliph, wishing to engage him in conversation, asked him:
"Which is the better, my house or that of your father?"
The boy replied: "So long as the Prince of the Faithful is
in my father's house it is the better of the two."
ON CAUTION
Said an Arab: Beware of belittling your adversary, for if
you conquer him you will receive no praise, and if he conquer
you you will have no excuse. One who is weak and cautious is
nearer to safety than he who is strong and reckless. Your enemy, no matter how weak, may find a weak spot in you while unguarded and thrust a mortal blow.
i
�mm
FEBRUARY, 1928
29
"Anna Ascends"
By HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME AS ORIGINALLY
PLAYED ON THE NEW YORK STAGE.
\
1
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING ACTS
Gents, a high-bred American, is discovered in the restaurant of Said
Coury, a congenial Syrian whose true Americanism is far more than his
poor English indicates. The waitress, Anna, is a hard working, honest
girl who continually strives to learn and always carries a dictionary. Gents
takes interest in her and helps her learn better English. Two under-world
characters, Bunch and Beauty, have designs on Anna and plan to force
her into disreputable traffic. They enter the restaurant and Bunch encircles Anna's waist with his arm and moves his hand in a familiar and
disgusting manner to her breast. She bites him viciously and he hurls
curses at her. Gents springs to her defense and forces an apology from
the detractor. Bunch and Beauty leave threatening Anna with revenge.
Two finely dressed American young women, Nell and Bess, sister and fiancee of Howard (Gents), enter the restaurant and are surprised at Howard
frequenting such a haunt. They disdain Anna and Howard proceeds to
prove to them that she is a better American than they are. Howard
leaves with the visitors and presently Rizzo, the cop, enters and announces
that he is looking for Bunch for a recent theft of a shawl. Rizzo departs
and is soon followed by Said, the proprietor, leaving Anna in the restaurant alone. Bunch enters and offers the stolen shawl to Anna who spurns
him and, as he proceeds to use force, she stabs him. Leaving him for
dead, she flees the place in the enveloping darkness of the night.
In an elaborately furnished office of a large publishing house in uptown New York, the former secretary of Mr. Fisk, head of the firm, is
about to get married and is inducting her successor, Miss Adams, in her
duties Miss Adams speaks perfect English but with a slight foreign accent Fisk examines her credentials and discovers that in a short time
she made several Changes. She explains that in some cases she was discharged in others, left of her own will, but always for one reason, namely that of biting men who attempted to kiss her. She relates a personal
story similar in every respect to a newly published book which proved an
instant best-seller and Fisk's suspicions are aroused as to her identity.
Miss Adams parries with him on the question and he resolves to take
other means of satisfying his curiosity. In the meantime Howard, son of
Fisk returns from an extended trip and meets Anna but does not recognize her and his "interest" in her is evident from the start.
Through a clever piece of detective work Fisk discovers that Miss
Adams is the author of the book which had created a literary sensation,
and in a confidential conversation with her prevails on her to reveal her
�II!
' III. Ill
30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
1
n
identity. He also informs her that she had become rich on her royalties.
Howard returns and tries hard to recall where he had met Miss Adams before, but she is relieved that he does not recognize her as the Syrian waitress in the Washington St. restaurant. He makes a date to see her the
next day. Meanwhile Howard's sister and fiancee return and all leave together. Upon being left alone Anna calls the office boy William and has
him enact an old scene she had with Howard by having him spell the word
affection and pronounce it LOVE. Anna then gives the boy the promised
kiss and is happy at the thought that Howard will come back.
The next scene is the summer home of the Fisks at Irvington-on-theHudson, Fisk endeavors to induce Anna to marry Howard, but Anna replies
that although she has realized her happiness in Howard she cannot take
it for reasons she cannot explain. Anna is later alone with Howard who
presses his suit to the point Where Anna, to escape being forced to give up
her secret, tells Howard she does not love him. Nell breaks in and insinuates that Anna could not dress so expensively on the meager salary of a
secretary. Howard appeals to his father who dispells any suspicion directed to Anna and counsels his son to have patience as Anna will surely accept
him at the proper time. Soon after, Anna finds herself alone in the room
with Nell who has designs on Howard, and during the verbal encounter
that ensues Nell accuses Anna of aspiring to be a lady and the latter retorts that she is jealous. Howard and his sister enter and the latter expresses apprehension over the safety of her presents and has her brother
promise to sleep in the room where they are kept. William, the office boy,
arrives with a case of jewels which Fisk commits to a drawer of a desk
while Bunch watches. Later when apparently everyone had left Bunch enters
the room and forces open the desk to steal the! necklace, not noticing Anna
who was reclining in a large chair. Anna recognizes Bunch as the thug who
had attacked her in the Syrian restaurant and stalls him by conversation
until Howard arrives and the thief is captured. It is then that Anna experiences unbounded relief and promises Howard to give him an answer
to hia question the following day.
The scene is then shifted to Khoury's restaurant in Washington St.,
where Anna first met Howard. Beauty Tanner, Bunch's pal, has now completely reformed and is working for Khoury. Rizzo the cop gives out the
news that Bunch was caught red-handed in a new theft and is bound to
be sent to Sing Sing for life. Anna makes her appearance and her former
employer is overjoyed. She discloses to him a scheme whereby she would
again assume her former garb of waitress while everyone in the restaurant would have left. In this well planned setting she awaits the arrival
of Howard.
ACT FOUR — II.
(Beauty returns and enters with a rush.)
SAID — Back so soon?
BEAUTY — Yes. The Sarg was out to lunch, but I'll go
back and find out about Bunch later.
SAID — No, Beauty. You do one of two things. Either*
I'ri
�FEBRUARY, 1928
N
t'
31
you go to the ball game or you get keeled.
BEAUTY — What?
SAID — Take your choice — Ball game or die.
BEAUTY — Say, what's eating you?
SAID — Ain't I said it?
BEAUTY — You give me half holiday? What for?
SAID — Der is a ball game and der is a undertaker, yas?
BEAUTY — Ball game for mine. I ain't ready for Amen
and flowers. But what's the idea?
SAID — You gots me, Beauty. I don't know. But I can
tell you one thing. My Anna's back.
BEAUTY — Oh, I see, I'm fired and you want to let me
down easy.
SAID — I bet I knock you goal wid das Turkish pipe. I
naver fire you.
BEAUTY — Then what the
SAID — You go to das ball gamq or you go to das hell, you
tak your peek.
BEAUTY — So Anna's back, and we were only talking about
her a moment ago. Does she know that Bunch Derry
SAID — I guess she know everything. Anna's a smart girl.
BEAUTY — How does she look?
SAID — Jas lak A-merican lady. Reech lady.
BEAUTY — Well I ain't surprised. We all gotter go forward, or go to jail, one or the other.
SAID — Yas, but you gotter go to das ball game, you remember?
BEAUTY — Plenty of time. Plenty of time.
I've got a
whole hour and a half yet.
SAID — (Allen and Nell appear at steps.) Dar ees no rush
now until supper — no customers, nothing. (Allen and Nell
descend steps.)
BEAUTY — (Grabbing apron and coat.) Ain't there? Here's
a couple now. Swell ones. (Said grabs coat and apron from
him.)
SAID — Go see Heine Zimm strikes out. I tak care of das
customers. (Allen and Nell Enter.)
NELL — Is this the abode of Mr. Said Coury?
SAID —' No, Mam, dis is my store.
ALLEN — But you live here, too, do you not? (Beauty goes
out.)
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
— Yas, sir.
NELL — I knew it. I remember the place well, though I
was only here once with Bess, over three years ago. We came
here looking for Howard. (To Said.) Three years ago you had
a waitress here who spent her time reading a dictionary. Do
you remember her?
SAID — (Looking up stairs.) Oh, yas, Mees, I remember
her.
NELL — The girl who knew the "Star Spangled Banner".
SAID — Yas, das Anna.
NELL — What became of her?
SAID — She here.
NELL — Still here?
ALLEN — There, I told you that you were mistaken.
SAID — Yas, Mees, still here.
ALLEN — Of course.
NELL — I tell you that I recognized her immediately,
when she uttered that terrible profanity last night. It's the same
girl, I tell you.
ALLEN — You only saw her once, for two minutes. Now
if Howard had
NELL — Howard? He is too blind to remember anything.
ALLEN — Oh, well, what is the difference?
SAID — You wish to see das Anna?
NELL — Yes. (Anna unseen by the others appears at door
up stairs, recognizes the group and exits hastily.)
ALLEN — We must hurry if you wish to get to that matinee.
NELL — I only wish to see the girl and make sure.
SAID — I calls her.
(Goes up to steps.) Anna, der ees a
gentlemans and some one else to sees you.
ANNA — (Off left.) Den I come, now.
SAID — Yas.
ANNA — (Coming down.) You hear, Mees, she come, now.
NELL — Thank you. (Anna enters. She has on the conventional oriental veil, which she did not have when she came in
on the group on her previous entrance. Of course she has changed to her dress of the first act.)
SAID — Anna, come here, das lady wants to see you.
ANNA — (Coming down.) Das lady?
NELL — Yes. Remove your veil, please.
SAID
�THE FIRST AND LAST SCENE
In the Syrian restaurant in Washington St., Howard first met Anna
as an illeterate waitress. After but a few years they met again when
she had achieved high literary fame. The climax is a happy marriage.
�MASONRY IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA
Type of domed buildings in Syria and Palestine described in Dr. Baily
Willis' article and declared by him to be veritable death traps
in earthquakes.
"'^^^Ilr^
<
traq
mo
P o
a
3
"
f
B
u
M
IS
�FEBRUARY, 1928
S3
ANNA — I can doos das.
NELL — Why, pray?
ANNA — I gets married tomorrow sure.
SAID — (Scenting that Anna does not wish
to be recognised.)
Das Oriental custom. Bride hide face 'till trouble is over.
ALLEN — Trouble?
SAID — Weddings, I means. Same things.
ANNA — You want me, Mees?
NELL — I do not know just what to
ALLEN — Come on to the matinee. For God's sake look
at it. Do you see anything in her to
NELL — As long as she is still here, I may be mistaken.
But I could have sworn last night
SAID — Oh, she still here.
ANNA — Yas, I here 'till I gets married. Das all, Mees.
ALLEN — Let's go to that matinee. The music may help
my head.
NELL — A little of the dog that bit you would do you more
good than music. Behave yourself and you would not have a
headache.
ANNA — Das young gentlemans got achehead? I feex das.
(To Said.) Arrac, Boss mans.
SAID — (Getting bottle and pouring drink.) Yas, das fine,
ver' fine.
ALLEN — (Dubiously.) It looks like water.
ANNA — You no worry. It doan taste lak water.
NELL — Take it and let us go.
ALLEN — (Taking glass and smelling the contents.)
It
smells great.
ANNA — Eet ees great. (Allen drinks with a gulf.) Das
de way.
— Haw
haw
umph
haw
my God
water
something
quick
Fire
fire
Oh
ANNA — Ain't it great?
ALLEN — Three hells in one
three.
ANNA — You wait a minute and you feel fines.
SAID — Sure.
ANNA — (To Nell.) You tak some, too, yas?
NELL — I? Certainly not. I leave that to unremorseful
topers.
ALLEN — Well, I do feel better.
ALLEN
i
�24
FEBR<
THE SYRIAN WORLD
have tc
ANNA — Das what I
ALLEN — (To Said.)
said. Doan I?
What do I owe you for that furnace
SA
A
fire?
&
SAID —
ALLEN
SAID —
crazy.
No charge.
— No charge?
No more drinks sold.
A
Country gone crazy, clean
— You are very kind. You saved my life.
— Das arrac save many lifes.
NELL — Let's be off.
ALLEN — Goodbye, doctor.
ANNA — Goodbye.
SAID — (Nell and Allen go up stage and mount front steps.)
So long. Remember, I got lots more das arrac.
ALLEN — It takes courage to hit up that stuff.
NELL — (As they exeunt.) Scotch is quite different, isn't
it? It gives you courage, but doesn't take it.
ALLEN — Now, Nell, why bring up a painful subject? It
was only
because I wanted to tell you that
(They pass
up the street.)
SAID — Das veil, Anna? You no getting married?
ANNA. — Oh, yes I am.
SAID — No? When?
ANNA — Today, perhaps. Tomorrow, sure.
SAID — To who, Anna, to who?
ANNA — Gents.
SAID — Gents? Gents? He come here soon, you know it?
He son of my landlord. I find that out when you go away.
ANNA — And I only found it out yesterday.
SAID — When he comes, I congratulate heem. How's das
for a word?
ANNA S— You'll do nothing of the sort.
SAID — No?
ANNA — No.
SAID — But whys?
ANNA — Because he doesn't know that he is going to marry
me.
.
SAID — Anna, you talk foolish, lak das Fadma girl. You
say you marry today mebbe and tomorrow, sure, and den you
say das Gents ain't
ANNA — Leave it all to me. When Gents comes, all you
ALLEN
SAID
&
I
\&
do sorr
A
as if I
Su
see if (
comes
A
There
stick y<
&
A
do
her tei
\
S.
I
s
I
s
I
s
I
s
I
s
I
«:
SHE
I
c
I
here?
�FEBRUARY, 1928
35
have to do is to tell him that Anna has come back.
SAID — I say before das I lie lak
ANNA — Yes, yes, but you do not have to.
SAID — Das woman and mans das was here, they know you?
ANNA — Yes — at least they think they do.
SAID — You got me all meexed up in my minds. I bet I
do something wrong when he comes.
ANNA — There is nothing to do but what I told you. Act
as if I had never gone away. Order me about. You know?
SAID — Yas, yas, I try. You can go now in the kitchen and
see if das bay I leaves and kiss-kuss is made. (Gents appears and
comes to steps.)
ANNA — All right, boss mans.
(Sees Howard at steps.)
There he is. Now be careful. If you make a mistake I will
stick you with a knife, like I did Bunch Derry.
SAID — You gots me so 'fraid, I know I make mistake.
ANNA — (At kitchen door.) Don't.
Remember, if you
do
KREESH
(She makes an ominous sound through
her teeth and exits.)
HOWARD — Hullo, Said.
SAID — Meester Fisk. You here, already?
HOWARD — Yes, did I not phone you?
f
SAID — Das right. I disremember.
HOWARD — You want the front of the house repainted?
SAID — Yas, sir.
HOWARD — All right. Father says that it is to be done.
SAID — Thank you, Gents, I mean Meester Feesk.
HOWARD — Oh, let it be Gents, Said.
SAID — Gents. I got big news for you. Big, BIG news.
HOWARD — Indeed?
SAID — Yas, big, big, big NEWS.
HOWARD — Well, well, well, it must be big. What is it?
SAID — (With all the importance in the world.) ANNA.
I
i
If
SHE COME BACK.
HOWARD — Who?
SAID — ANNA.
HOWARD — Anna?
SAID — Yas.
HOWARD — Who is Anna?
SAID — You don't know Anna das use to wait on das tables
here?
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
36
HOWARD
— (Indifferently.) Oh, yes, of course.
How is
she?
SAID — Don't you know?
HOWARD — Said, are you drunk?
SAID — But she wear a veil. And
How should I know?
she get married today
mebbe, tomorrow sure.
HOWARD — Well, that is good news, I am sure. I expect
to get married myself very soon.
SAID — Yas, I know.
HOWARD — What?
SAID — I say, is das so?
HOWARD — Whom is your waitress to marry? Do I know
the gentleman?
SA>D — Yas, I tink you do.
HOWARD — Indeed. Who is he?
SAID— I
I
HOWARD — Well?
SAID — (Starts for kitchen door.) Excuse, Gents. (Calls
through door.) Anna, is das kiss-kuss ready?
ANNA — (Off right.) Yas, boss mans.
SAID — (Crossing to counter.) I mak you a good cup of
Turkish coffee, yas?
HOWARD — Thanks. And I'll take some of those excellent
cigarettes.
ANNA — Kiss-kuss ready to serve. (As she passes Howard
she trips over his feet.) Excuse, please.
ANNA — Tanks.
SAID — You remember das gentlemans, Anna?
ANNA — Oh, yas, das Gents. How are you, Gents?
HOWARD — I'm very well
and you?
ANNA — I'm ver' well, too
and happy.
HOWARD — I remember you, now.
You have discarded
your dictionary and flag.
ANNA — No, I still keep 'em. (She reaches over him> puts
her right arm around his neck and grabs Turkish pipe from table.)
Excuse, please. (She takes pipe over to counter.)
HOWARD — I understand that you are about to be married?
ANNA — Yas yas. Today, perhaps. Tomorrow, sure.
SAID — (Nervously.) Tak das coffee to Meester Gents.
ANNA — Right.
(She takes cup of coffee from Said and
crosses right. She repeats same business with cup as with pipe.)
I
�FEBRUARY, 1928
37
Excuse, please.
1
r
HOWARD — (To Said.)
Her happiness has gone to her
head, evidently.
SAID — Yes, sir. (To Anna, who has crossed back to counter.) Stop das, Anna.
ANNA — (Imperiously to Said.) SUGAR — for das gentlemans, QUICK
or
KREESH
(She repeats the business of her exit.)
SAID — (Handing over the sugar bowl hastily.) Dars rats
in your cellar sure.
ANNA — (Crossing quickly to above Howard.) Sugar, Yas?
HOWARD — If you please. (Anna drops them in the cup,
one at a time, as she talks.)
ANNA — You feel sorry das I get married. Yas?
HOWARD — Oh, no, I feel glad for you.
ANNA — You ain't married yet. No?
HOWARD — Not yet, but some day I
SAID — Hay dere?
ANNA — (Stops sugar business.) What now?
SAID — You want to break me? One lump to a customer,
one lump.
ANNA — All right. (She is above him and reaches over to
take the sugar bowl, which she has placed on the table. The same
business is repeated, as before, but her left arm goes around his
neck this time and her right grabs the bowl.) Excuse, please. (She
crosses to counter with the bowl.)
HOWARD — (Good naturedly.) Football.
SAID — (To Anna, intensely.) You stop das.
ANNA — (Making a stabbing movement with an imaginary
knife.).. KREESH
HOWARD — A package of cigarettes, Said. Any kind that's
good.
ANNA — CIGARETTES
quick, you. (Said quickly
and fearfully gets cigarettes from the. case and reaches way over
to hand them to Anna, in order to keep as far away from her as
possible.)
SAID — (To Anna.) You mak me mak das mistake, soon,
in a minute.
ANNA — (Crossing over to Gents.) Here's das cigarettes,
Gents. (She tears open package and takes one out.) Good cigarettes. (She sticks the cigarette in his mouth.) Excuse, please.
iweEs*Miii«;v*';-.-, .
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
38
1
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(Same business is repeated when she reaches over to get match
\ f
safe from table.) I give you light, yas?
HOWARD — Thank you. You are very kind — and very
i
i.
strenuous.
ANNA — (Lights match on box, holding match in left hand,
her right arm slides around his neck in an easy way and she leans
against the back of his chair. All this business must be done in a
modest and quick way. Just as quickly and easily as possible to
1
kill any idea of total boldness. As the audience is well aware that
it
they are in love with each other and Howard is in ignorance of
the fact that Anna is Annay the character of Anna will lose nothing of her modesty and sweetness if the business is performed
right.) Tanks. Here is a nice light.
HOWARD — You are wearing a veil?
Is that the reason
you
you
ANNA — (Crossing over to Said.) Yas, dats the reason
I soon gets married.
SAID — Mebbe today. Tomorrow, sure.
ANNA — (Tersely to Said.) Get out!
SAID — Eh?
ANNA — Get out, quick.
SAID — Buts I
ANNA — Go to the ball game or
KREESH
t *
HOWARD — Makes you look more like a fortune teller than
a bride.
ANNA — Dat is. Das it. I tell you fortune. (Said tiptoes
up to windows during the following scene and draws down the
blinds. Then he draws down the blinds of the door and locks
door. Then he tiptoes over to the steps that lead up stairs to the
rooms, stumbling over an empty oil can and making a terrible
racket. He sneaks up the stairs and off leaving the two lovers
alone. All this business of Said's must be over and he must be
off before the vital part of the scene between Howard and Anna
is reached. With a parting smile at the couple. Said closes the
door.)
\
ANNA — You want me to tell you das fortune?
HOWARD — I suppose so. But I know just what you are j
going to say — "I will receive a letter with some money, I will
take a journey by water. Beware of a dark man
"
ANNA — No, no, I tell you a fortune lak you never had before. (She gets Turkish pipe with clean wafer in bowl and car-*
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�FEBRUARY, 1928
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39
ries it over to table, repeating business.) Excuse, please. (She
then gets chair and brings it on a level with his.) I tell you fortune das is true. I tell you all. All you want to know.
HOWARD — That's something you can't do.
ANNA — Oh, yas I can. I tell you anything. (She sits beside him.) Give me your hand. (He does so.)
HOWARD — Don't you want your palm crossed with silver
first? All other fortune tellers do.
ANNA — No. My reward will come later. (She looks at
his hand for a second.) Oh, my. Oh, my, you are in love.
HOWARD — Right.
ANNA — Very much in love.
HOWARD — Doubly right.
ANNA — With a charming young lady.
HOWARD — Yes.
ANNA — (Purposely eulogizing herself.)
With a most
charmenest young lady.
HOWARD — Yes, and again yes.
ANNA — (Continuing her self eulogy.) A beautiful young
lady.
HOWARD — Yes, yes, yes.
ANNA — The most beautifulest in the world.
HOWARD — Wonderful, so true, so true. (He comes back
to earth.) But I know all that. You said you would tell me what
I wanted to know.
ANNA — I tell you anything. Ask me.
HOWARD — Does she love me?
ANNA — Yes.
HOWARD — Does she love me as much as I love her?
ANNA — More. Oh, much more.
HOWARD — Will she marry me?
ANNA — Yes, yes.
HOWARD — When?
ANNA — Perhaps today. Tomorrow, sure.
HOWARD — What is her name?
ANNA — I must look in das hand again. (She takes a look
at his palm.) Dar it is plain as das face on your nose. (She reads.)
N—E—L—L— Nell.
HOWARD — WHAT???
ANNA — (Hastily.) Excuse, please. Mistake.
(She vigorously rubs the palm of his hand.) It's dirt. I try again. Dere
�,e~~*~«
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
it is
I see it
All dere, so clear — A—N—N—A — Anna.
HOWARD — Marvelous
marvelous.
ANNA — I do better.
HOWARD — Yes?
ANNA — Yes. I show her to you.
HOWARD — No?
ANNA — Yas, I say. (She points to howl of pipe.) Look
in dere and soon you see das woman you love and who loves you.
(Howard gazes intently at howl and sees his own reflection. Anna slowly removes her veil as she talks.)
HOWARD — I see nothing but my old phizz.
ANNA — Have patience and she will come beside you to stay
there — for ever. (By this time she has her veil of and tenderly puts her cheeck to his.) Tell me, has she appeared by your
side? (Anna is standing and bending over with her cheek to his.
Howard sees the face in the howl and the truth slowly dawns upon him.) Tell me, I say, is she there? Beside you?
HOWARD — Yes, yes, beside me, forever.
ANNA — Forever. True.
HOWARD — (His left arm steals around her waist and he
draws her down to him. She kneels as he holds her close, and
they are both gazing intently in the bowl.) Forever — forever
and anon.
ANNA — (Dreamily.) Forever and anon.
HOWARD — We will be married at once, dear. Tomorrow,
yes, tomorrow.
ANNA — Tomorrow, perhaps, but TODAY, SURE.
(CURTAIN)
THE END.
Arab Proverbs
To call for action and remain idle is not unlike a bow without a string.
The sweetness of success effaces the bitterness of struggle.
The mistake of the learned man is like the foundering of
a ship—it sinks and causes others to perish with it.
M
�41
FEBRUARY, 1928
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
THE EDITOR
Tos. W. FERRIS contributes
what may be considered a record of one of the most acute
crises of the Syrians in the United, States. Through the whim of
a certain Southern Judge, the
issue was raised as to the eligibility of Syrians for American
citizenship. The applicant was
judged not by ethnological considerations but by his color, and
color, as it was aptly argued,
may result from many contributory causes not at all related
to racial descent. The Syrians
of America were
piqued
at this slight to their race
and banded together for common defense. That was one of
the rare instances in their history when they brushed aside
their petty causes of difference
and rose in common and with
the, closest approach to unanimity to engage in the task of self
defense. And they won.
J
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It is futile to comment on
the benefits of united action in
the face of a national crisis. But
Syrians may well ponder the
advisability of experimenting
in united effort every once in
a while. They can well realize
that it is not so much to their
credit to work together with a
semblance of harmony under
the driving urge of common
danger, when the shadow of
catastrophe stalks threateningly in their midst. Much credit,
however, would come to them
if they were to undertake the
experiment, not simply to ward
off harm, but purely in the
spirit of striving1 for some benefit. This would be more in the
nature of reaching out for
something constructive under
the urge of conviction rather
than compulsion. It is a poor
compliment for one to arouse
himself only to resist the bad
instead of striving for the good.
We believe the Syrians of
America owe Mr. Ferris full
measure of thanks for the pains
he has taken to lay before them
this interesting chapter of their
history in such a lucid and engaging manner. In these busy
times we are apt to forget, and
to forget quicklyj therefore, to
have our memories refreshed
every once in a while on vital
national issues is a genuine
service.
A
time ago we received
a letter from one of our
subscribers in New Zealand,
Kareem A. Alexander, of WeiSHORT
�42
lington, highly commending the
publication of THE SYRIAN
WORLD and requesting particulars on the fight the Syrians of
America waged to establish
their right to citizenship, as the
Syrians of New Zealand are
now threatened with a similar
situation.
Portions of Mr.
ALEXANDER'S letter are published elsewhere.
We deem it a high privilege
to be able to render such a service to our brothers of New Zealand, and are happy to feel that
in this service we can count on
the support of some of our best
legal talent. The article of Mr.
Jos. W. Ferris will partly fill
this need, and further details
will be cheerfully furnished
once the full particulars of the
bill under consideration in the
Parliament of New Zealand
are supplied. Mr. Ferris, to
whom we have referred the letter from our New Zealand compatriot, has already written for
these details, promising wholehearted and complete co-operation.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
fitness to be incorporated into
the body politic or social of the
different countries, especially
those speaking' the English language.
Now, however, the Syrians
have become a potent economic
factor almost everywhere they
settled. Itj is admitted that they
are law-abiding and industrious, and their success came to
them through fair and lawful
means. But be the means fair
or foul, success gives rise to
jealousies, and where lawful
competition fails to down the
enterprising Syrians, recourse is
had to legislative action as a
last resort.
Our readers will recall that
legislation of this nature has
already been enacted in several
Latin-American countries. It
was at one time threatened in
Australia and was thwarted only by the energetic action of our
compatriots there. The fight
now looming on the horizon in
New Zealand should be watched with special interest as it is
the latest development in what
seems to be a world-wide outburst of antipathy against the
Syrians.
During the early period of
their immigration, the Syrians
were not only few in numbers,
but, owing to their impecunous
state, could make no perceptible
impress on the economic condi- JTARTHQUAKES in Syria and
Palestine take such a heavy
tions of the communities in
toll
in life and property simply
which they settled. Consequently, their presence was tolerated because Syrians do not take the
and no question raised as to their necessary precautions to lessen
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�FEBRUARY, 1928
/
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43
their damage, according to Dr. Broadway with Alice Brady, the
Bailey Willis, of Stanford Uni- famous American stage and
versity, Cal., whose article on screen star, appearing in the
the subject is published in this stellar role. That we were able
issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD. to treat our readers to this wonDr. Willis not only gives a his- derful play eulogizing the fine
torical review of earthquakes in qualities of the Syrian girl in
Syria but makes such valuable America was due chiefly to the
practical suggestions as should fine spirit of the author, Mr.
be seriously considered and Harry Chapman Ford, admitgratefully acknowledged by tedly one of the foremost
Syrians. It is gratifying to American admirers of our race.
learn that this article by Dr. We wish to register to him a
Willis is receiving wide publi- word of unqualified appreciacity among the people whom tion.
it is intended to benefit, beDuring the course of its pubcause, aside from its publica- lication, "Anna Ascends" elicittion in THE SYRIAN WORLD in ed from readers many expresthe original English text, it was sions of praise and approval.
also translated into Arabic and An added reason for its apprepublished in AL-KULLYYAH, ciation was the fact that never
the official review' of the Amer- before its publication in THE
ican University of Beirut, SYRIAN WORLD was it available
through the courtesy of whose in printed form. And ever since
editors and the permission of the publication of the first inthe author it was made avail- stallment requests for permisable to our readers.
sion to stage it for local benefits
were reaching the editor from
many sections of the country.
Now it gives us great pleasure
"ANNA ASCENDS"
to announce that Mr. Ford has
.
THE LAST installment of "An- added still another proof of his
na Ascends" is published in friendliness to Syrians by grantthis issue of THE SYRIAN ing the privilege of staging the
WORLD.
We cannot help at play among Syrians for Syrian
this jucture but express a benefits. It should be undercertain feeling of satisfaction stood, however, that the absoat having been able to secure lute right of ownership remains
this play for publication. As invested in him.
We wish to make the further
formerly stated, "Anna Ascends" had a long run on important announcement that
�44
the author of "Anna Ascends"
has consented to write a series
of short stories for THE SYRIAN
WORLD which would have a
special appeal to the SyrianAmerican generation.
"The
Syrian people in this country,"
he avows, "have never received
the true appreciation for their
steadfast and patriotic citizenship," and it is his intention to
present in the form of fiction
some of the outstanding facts
about the Syrians as he has
known them.
of Eugene Jung is
ably reviewed in this issue
of THE SYRIAN WORLD by
Mile. Simone France, a French
student of international affairs.
It is an interesting situation to
find one Frenchman taking issue with another on the question of Syria, and to see, above
all, that the parties to the controversy are about as equally
interested and anxious in arriving at the truth of the situation.
From the statement of Mile.
France, we learn that Mr.
Jung's work is extremely instructive and the contentions of
the author well supported by
documentary evidence. He is
given full credit for the honesty of his convictions and no attempt is made to minimize his
criticism pf France's blunders
""THE BOOK
THE SYRIAN WORLD
FE
in the administration of her
Syrian mandate.
Mile. France, on the other
hand, takes issue with the author for not fully living up to
the ethics of the historian. She
accuses him of giving only one
side of the situation whereas a
judicial pronouncement on the
subject would require fairness
in discussing issues from all
angles.
The. reviewer enumerates certain constructive achievements
which the French have accomplished in Syria and on which
the author maintains complete
silence.
has the
satisfaction of making its columns available; for the complete
and unrestricted discussion of
national issues in a spirit of pure
service and helpfulness. The
controversy has grown so acrimonious in some quarters that
a sedate discussion of the facts,
with equal chance at a hearing
given both sides, should be
most helpful in bringing about
an understanding. At least,
such a course should be helpful in aiding interested observers in getting to the true facts
of the situation for forming an
independent judgment.
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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�FEBRUARY, 1928
(
45
Readers' Forum
EASING THE HISTORIAN'S TASK
My dear Mr. Mokarzel:
I
The Syrian World comes to me every month, and I have been
much interested in it. As a historian, I find it has a double interest.
On the one hand, I admire your brave attempt to keep up the interest
of the Syrians in their ancient 'history, and I hope some time to redeem my promise and send you several articles along th;s line. At
the same time, as an American historian, it has seemed to me that
one of the greatest difficulties to be faced by the future historian of
America is the writing up of the history of its foreign born
citizens. Thanks to your Syrian World, it will be easy for the future
historian to depict the part played by the Syrians and no doubt will
result in their being given their due place in this history.
Yours sincerely,
A. T. OLMSTEAD,
Professor of History, Curator of the Oriental Museum
University of Illinois.
SYRIANS IN OKLAHOMA
UNIVERSITY
Editor, The Syrian World:
Being of Syrian parentage, I wish
to express my appreciation of your
wonderful magazine which has
brought me into contact with the beloved country of my forefathers.
Although I am a student at the
Oklahoma University at Norman,
Okla., and have read numerous interesting pages of Syrian history in
the "Development of Western Civilization", college text by Woodworth,
I find that I obtain more knowledge
on Syrian customs, ideas, literature,
and finance in your magazine.
The Syrian students at Oklahoma
University all take pride in having
the monthly issues of your magazine
forwarded to them from their homes,
and they also delight in telling their
friends about our mother country
"Syria" which once led the world in
commercial and cultural pursuits.
The following are the Syrian students enrolled in the various departments of Okla. University:
Bashara Carl, Norman, Okla.,
School of Geology; Mansur Fred,
Ponca City, Okla., School of Civil
Engineering; Kadane Jack, Frederick, Okla., School of Medicine; Dakil Louis, McAlister, Okla., School
of Theology; Shadid Ruth, Elk City,
Okla., School of Fine Arts; Moussa
Saleemie, Okla. City, Okla., School
of Education; Abraham Lela, Bristow, Okla., School of Education;
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Hamra Nick, Henryetta, Okla.,
School of Business; Khoury Geo.,
Drumright, Okla., School of Business.
Since we have an enrollment of
5,000 in the Okla. University, we feel
quite positive that the advocation
for higher education is coming slow
but sure for the younger Syrian
generation.
Miss Ruth Shadid.
Okla. U., Norman, Okla.
HIGH STANDARD SHOULD BE
CONTINUED
Editor, The Syrian World:
*** It is my sincere hope that you
will continue with the high standard
you have set for The Syrian World.
It is my firm conviction that the
Syrian mind will not long patronize
the shallow standard in literature.
It is the high standard of The Syrian World which will eventually win
the Syrian and enlist his support
and co-operation. The readers and
friends of The Syrian World will
soon appreciate its high quality and
service and open the way to larger
circulation and influence.
I appreciated your article on THE
HISTORY OF THE SYRIANS IN
NEW YORK which appeared in the
November issue. It is instructive,
encouraging and prophetic of the
Syrian's future in America and elsewhere. It was splendidly illustrated.
Rev. W. A. Mansur.
Loretta, Neb.
A SENSE OF DUTY
Editor, The Syrian World:
Mr. C. 0. Snyder of the Williamson High School accidentally saw
The Syrian World with my daughter
Gladys, one of his pupils. After
reading it he expressed for it high
admiration and declared it to be
exceedingly informative and educational. I have asked Mr. Snyder if
he would be interested in receiving
it regularly and he said that The
Syrian World would be the kind of
literature he would enjoy most. I
am therefore asking you to send him
"our magazine" for, a year as a gift
of appreciation from me, as I believe it is the duty of every Syrian
to contribute his share towards the
placing of the interesting information contained in The Syrian World
within reach of interested Americans.
A. J. Bassett.
Williamson, W. Va.
WELL CONCEIVED
I
Editor, The Syrian World:
*** Please accept my sincerest
congratulations on the splendid
manner The Syrian World is being
edited. The illustrations are most
appropriate.
Your
department
"Spirit of the Syrian Press" is particularly well conceived.
Alice Poulleau.
Nolay, Cote d'Or, France.
A LEGAL OPINION
Editor,, The Syrian World:
*** Permit me to add my voice to
that of the many others who feel
that your publication is filling a
niche that we very much need in
the United States.
The matters published between
the covers of the issues of your publication have proven of great interest to me.
Jos. W. Ferris.
New York City.
'J
�47
FEBRUARY, 1928
i.
I
Spirit of The Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabic\ speaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
\
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
I with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
1 f
THE RULING PRINCE
OF LEBANON
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We have been steadfast advocates
of the creation of a principality in
Lebanon, and the election of a
French Prince to rule over it for
life, but with no right of succession.
These demands have formed an integral part of the constitution of
the Lebanon League of Progress
ever since its incorporation in 1911.
We are now confronted with a situation which adds a new interest to
this question. It is apparent that
the Lutfallahs are conducting active
propaganda in the Lebanese press
for the obvious purpose of seating
one of their brothers, Emir George
Lutfallah, on the throne of Lebanon.
Such a move could, and should, never succeed for many reasons, principal among Which is that the Lutfallah family is prominently identified with the last revolution which
has brought so much ruin on Lebanon. Consideration should also be
given to the fact that the Lutfallahs
are not genuinely Lebanese, if a Lebanese should at all be considered
for the post.
On the other hand, there are other Lebanese equally as rich as the
Lutfallahs, principally the Shadids,
who have made overtures to the
French to extend a loan to Lebanon
of half a million Egyptian pounds,
or what is equivalent to $£,500,000,
for an exceedingly long term and
without interest, if they were to be
given the governorship of Lebanon.
Such a sum would go far towards
rehabilitating the shattered finances
of the country and could be used
for any number of reconstruction
projects. The French refused, even
though Count Salim Shadid is a
genuine Lebanese and is known for
his advocacy of the French mandate. Why, then, should the French
acquiesce in the demands of the
Lutfallahs who are reputed to have
spent an amount in excess of a million dollars in support of the lawless
element which brought rape and destruction and death on the country?
For these and similar reasons we
feel that a native son of the country
is not the proper person to ascend
the throne.
Jealousies are too
strongly rooted through religious
and other motives. The natural
solution would then be to create a
principality of Mt. Lebanon over
which would be installed a French
prince. He, of course, would have
�MM
48
FEB1
THE SYRIAN WORLD
to be first thoroughly Lebanized, grant of tangible interests under
giving his allegiance and devotion those heavens?
to Lebanon above any other country.
Syrian soil may be the most saBeing French, however, would nacred and venerable on earth,, but
turally strengthen the friendly relawhat is there of practical value to
tions between the two countries.
the Syrian emigrant on that soil?
It must be borne in mind that we
Has not the Syrian emigrant
advocate such a course only on conprayed
fervently to those heavens
dition that the election of the ruling
prince be made for life in an effort to keep him under their stars, but
to establish a stable regime that his supplication availed him naught?
Has he not mixed the soil of the
would not be subject to the shifting
winds of politics, but the office homeland with his sweat and tears,
should not be hereditary, the right nay, even with his blood, and the
of the family of the incumbent soil refused to yj-ld him the means
ceasing with his death, following the of subsistence?
lines of the religious hierarchies as
Far be it from us to call on the
now practiced in the churches of the Syrian emigrant to forget the counEast.
try of his birth, or to have him
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Jan. 17, 1928.) develop that extreme sense of individualism so that he think of none
but himself.
THE POSITION OF
But we are ofv the firm belief that
THE EMIGRANT the Syrian stay-at-homes have carried matters a little beyond reasonOur brothers in Syria persist in
able limits in their dependence on
looking upon us as an integral part
the emigrants even in the means of
of them. To them it seems beyond
livelihood. If they are in the course
comprehension that we should have
of building a church they appeal to
permanently migrated to another the generosity of the emigrant. If
land and that many of us should
they are threatened with a swarm of
have now been naturalized and forlocusts it is the emigrant's money
ever forsaken our former political
that is imperatively needed to save
allegiance.
the country. If there should be a
This is indeed a sublime senti- drought their first appeal would be
ment. But we wish to remind our to God and to the emigrants. Even
brothers of the homeland that to the if they were to dig a well for drinkemigrants the Old Country has be- ing water they would hasten to cable
come nothing more than a subject the emigrants for financial assistof their dreams and reminiscences. ance!
They love their former homes in
Do our brothers of the homeland
theory, but to all practical purposes
fail to realize that the recurrence
they cannot shake the conviction that
of these appeals on such trivial matthe country of their choice, their
ters will eventually deaden their efreal home, is the country in which
fect? Suppose another catastrophe
they live and prosper.
similar to that of the World War
Syrian heavens may be the clear- were to disrupt means of communiest and the most beautiful in the cation between us, what would they
world, but what has the Syrian emi- do?
since
seems
>
�\
FEBRUARY, 1928
We would add that it is our sincere hope to strengthen the bonds
of ) ^lationship between the Syrians
of the homeland and the emigrants,
and that the latter should continue
their assistance to the former but
according to their own methods and
not the methods of the stay-at-homes
which have proven defective and in
many cases most harmful.
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Jan. 13, 1928.
AGITATING THE SYRIAN
QUESTION
49
pretender, (Emir Lutfallah), is not
all Syria, nor will Syria consent to
his crown and promises. If he
claims that he is able to bring an
end to the revolution, such a pretension is wholly false, because he does
not represent the revolutionists nor
has he authority to speak for them.
We know that the Syrian revolutionists have no other accredited
representatives than their European
delegation at the head of which is
the great patriot and eminent prince
(Shekib Arslan), who is actuated by
the most disinterested motives in the
service of his country and is much
more true in his devotion than office
sekers and chasers after thrones.
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Jan. 18, 1928.)
After the elapse of eight years
since French occupation, it now
seems that the French Government
and people have begun to realize
that there is a Syrian Question SULTAN PASHA ATRASH
which requires solution by other
REFUSES TO SURRENDER
than the old methods so far emLet not France occupy herself
ployed.
The great patriot, Emir Shekib with the futile task of attempting
Arslan, related to us that before the to win over to her the leaders of the
outbreak of the revolution the Syrian revolution and induce them
French Foreign Office would not lis- to surrender. They shall never be
ten to any representative of the loyal to her, nor surrender in good
Syrian liberals discussing with it faith while she persists in followany of the Syrian demands for in- ing her present lame policy. Those
dependence. All proposals in this who do surrender will do so only
regard had to be made in the form with perfidy and deceit, while a fair
of petitions which were naturally indication of the general feeling of
pigeon-holed. Now, however, thanks the leaders may be had from the irto the Revolution, the attitude of reconcilable, stubborn, attitude of
the French has changed and the the chief leader, Sultan Pasha AtGovernment is often taken to task rash, who refuses to make any comin Parliament for its Syrian poli- promise with the French Mandate
under any circumstances.
cies.
We have often repeated that the
And now that the Syrian Question has taken a new form, especial- Mandatory authorities in Syria have
ly that some factions of our Inde- been following a pernicious policy
pendence Party propose seating one which can result only in harm both
of their members on the throne of to France and to Syria. The proper
Lebanon, we would say that it would course for them to follow would be
be madness on the part of France to practice justice both in their
to consent to such a course. This dealings with the revolutionists as
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
$0
well as with the peaceful elements.
In this manner peaceable citizens
would be assured of protection and
the lawless element would be brought
to realize that crime will be punished with the proper severity.
France is not weak, but her vacillating policy in the East emboldens
her enemies against 'her. This is
all the more lamentable especially
in a country where retrogression,
bigotry and vindictiveness are bound
to be the result of misplaced clemency.
(Syrian Eagle, N. Y., Jan. 13, 1928.)
IN THE DAY'S NEWS
Many news items we come across
in the press of the homeland are
passed over as of no particular importance, just as if they were of
everyday occurrence, while in truth
they should give us food for serious
thought. Others are accorded much
more importance while in fact they
should not deserve but a passing
glance.
We read, for instance, of the debates taking place in Parliament
and are apparently much swayed by
the heat of arguments, overlooking
the fact that all this is but empty
noise, inasmuch as what the High
Commissioner approves of is alone
passed, while all others, no matter
how vital to the interests of the
country, are bound to fail if lacking
this approval. Members of Parliament, in fact, are but pawns in the
hands of the High Commissioner.
A recent news item that should
prompt us to think is the arrival of
M. Millerand, ex-President of France, in Syria as a private attorney
in the Sursuq case. His coming
was hailed with great joy and both
,^.^-
civil officials and religious dignitaries vied with one another to do him
honor. Syrians placed great hopes
in him to help the cause of the
country, as if their destiny were entrusted to him. Undoubtedly he will
leave the country with the most
pleasant recollections of the hospitality with which he was received,
but will laugh to himself over the
obvious simplicity of the Syrians
who apparently fail to realize that
Millerand is now but a plain citizen
who is totally helpless in deciding
governmental policies. Even the
acting President is powerless and
is in such matters at the mercy of
the controlling party. What, then,
can an ex-president do?
Syrians should realize that unless
they rise in common to demand
their rights no reform could be had
in Syria.
Of gratifying import is the news
that the murderer of the priest of
Kawkaba was lately executed. This
indicates that although the government may show leniency to surrendered rebels it is also bent on letting
justice take its course, so that no
criminal may hope to escape punishment for his crimes, especially if
such crimes be committed in a spirit
of fanaticism and revenge against
a minister of religion.
Also of special interest to Syrian
immigrants is the continued drought
in the Old Country which threatens
to bring further hardships on a poor
people not yet relieved from the destruction of the recent revolt. The
immigrants will surely hear from
their relatives on this subject very
soon. It seems to be taken for granted that financial assistance is expected of them, but it may also be
taken for certain that in cases of
real necessity they will not be found
recalcitrant.
I.
�I
•m
•m
51
FEBRUARY, 1928
Another bit of news which will
cause some to laugh, but is bound
to cause genuins anguish to those
who think, is the sad report of what
befell the farmer girl who found a
hand grenade in the field and
brought it home to use as a mallet
with which to pound the meat pulp
for "kibbe". Of course, the grenade
exploded and tore the poor girl to
pieces. But the moral of the case is
that ignorance is still prevalent
among the common people of Syria,
and so long as we use an explosive
bomb for a mallet, bringing destruction upon ourselves, what could be
our benefit from independence which
we do not understand. Surely it will
be more destructive to us than the
bomb which we do not know how
to use.
(As-Sayeh; N. Y., Jan. 16, 1928.)
We conjure them by the sacred spirits of the martyrs to make this convention fruitful and of beneficial results so that we may give the enemy
the bitter taste he deserves. This
action is necessary that the enemy
may not again look at us with derision and say, 'Those of them who
are on the other side were torn by
dissension and failed of any benefit,
while those who are on this side of
the world have also dispersed with
no benefit either to themselves or
to others."
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Jan. 14, 1928.)
THE DETROIT CONVENTION
if.
M*
All eyes are now focused on the
convention of Detroit, called together by the New Syria Party, where
surely the spirit of co-operation will
prevail among the delegates in keeping with the true spirit of patriotism with which the atmosphere of
the place will be impregnated.
The liberals of the country will
here convene to discuss ways and
means for bringing about the general welfare of the country which is
above any other interest or consideration.
We appeal to the delegates at the
Detroit Convention to abide by the
strictest sense of unity and co-operation. We appeal to them to work
together in peace out of respect for
the spirit of the martyrs who died
for the cause of liberty, offering
themselves as sacrifices that the
country may be freed of its bondage.
PROPER CO-OPERATION
IS NECESSARY
The Lebanese of the interior of
the United States, who do not fail
on every occasion to demonstrate
their interest in their mother country, especially in the matters of financial assistance to their relatives
abroad, seem all to show resentment
against the Mandatory Power for
its apparent leniency towards the
criminal rebels by courting their
friendship and even appointing
them to high, offices in spite of their
black record of crimes and atrocities.
In our discussion of conditions
with these compatriots, we have
proved to them that the fault lies
with the Lebanese people themselves
who do not lend the Mandatory
Power the necessary co-operation
in bringing about a betterment of
conditions. The Lebanese seem to
expect France to realize their aspirations, bring to them prosperity
and afford them protection unaided.
But it is an evident truth that if
the landlord does not build himself
all the efforts of the masons will
be in vain.
(Ash-Shaab, N. Y, Jan. 30, 1928.)
�52
THE SYRIAN WORLD
About Syria and Syrians
SYRIANS OF NEW ZEALAND
FACE CRISIS
To the many other countries seeking to exclude the Syrians or pass
restrictive immigration laws against
them may now be added New Zealand. It is a sad state in which
concentrated efforts on the part of
Syrians oil over the world are required to combat this growing movement against them as a race. The
basic motive for this attitude is the
growing fear against the so-called
menace of the Yellow races who are
termed Asiatics, and Syria being a
part of Asia, Syrians are being included in the general classification.
Where these reasons do not hold
true, the Syrians are being discriminated against mainly for their success in commercial competition.
This would apply particularly to
Latin-American countries.
The new crisis which is now
threatening the Syrians of New
Zealand is similar in many respects
to that which the Syrians of the
United States had to face when the
issue of their eligibility for citizenship was raised a few years ago.
It is to be hoped that our compatriots of New Zealand will be as successful in proving their claims to
fitness as we were in this country.
The Syrian World is in receipt of
a request from Mr. Kareem E. Alexander, of Wellington, N. Z., for data
bearing on the defense the Syrians
of the United States made in the
controversy that was precipitated by
a certain Federal Judge over their
eligibility for citizenship. Our correspondent states that legislation is
now threatened in New Zealand for
their exclusion. Portions of the
letter of Mr. Alexander follow:
"Some time ago a controversy
arose in this country over the status
of Asiatics which resulted in the
introduction of bills in Parliament
for their exclusion. Of course, this
law is primarily directed against the
Chinese, Japanese and Hindoos, and
because the Syrians are from the
continent of Asia, some people find
it hard to pass a law for one section and exempt others.
"We realize that we are facing a
hard, fight, and recollecting that the
Syrians of the United States had to
go through a similar experience not
long since, you would be doing us
a great favor by posting the proceedings of the Court at that time
to us immediately. You will readily
see the importance of the matter
and we feel sure you will not fail
us.
"Permit us also to express our
high appreciation of The Syrian
World for the services it is rendering our race in instructing our young
generations in the history and traditions of the mother country of their
parents. Coming from a stock Which
has made valuable contributions to
civilization, they should be made to
feel that they owe it to their ancestors to live up to their reputation."
As may be learned from the
Editor's Comment, The Syrian World
was able to secure the co-operation
of the able Syrian lawyer of New
York, Mr. Jos. W. Ferris, to review
the several cases tried in the Federal Courts of the United States bearing on the subject, as well as to
�FEBRUARY, 1928
53
promise further assistance upon re- the countries of South America as
well as in Australia and South Africeipt of more particulars.
We are given to understand by ca, but their correspondence with
our New Zealand correspondent that one another goes on uninterrupted.
This is a concrete example of
no definite action has yet been taken
by the Parliament of that country in what emigration has done to the
the matter of Syrian exclusion. It Syrian race.
The present generation may be
should be interesting to follow the
able
for a time to maintain the
developments of the fight of our
family
ties unsevered, but what
compatriots in New Zealand for reabout
the
next generation and the
cognition as to their fitness to be
one
after?
Especially that the transclassed with "free White men".
literation of names is not, among
the Syrians, helpful in tracing the
same origin. The case of the family
to which the three cousins above reUNDER EVERY STAR
ferred to belong may be again taken
Here is an incident that may be as an illustration, for while all these
taken as a true illustration of the three spelled their names uniformstatus of the modern Syrian.
ly, Rayes, they had cousins in the
One day this month, three pros- United States and other parts of the
perous-looking,
wholesome
men world who spelled the same family
came to the office of The Syrian name differently, relying only on
World. They all bore a strong re- the phonetic sound, such as Reis,
semblance to each other. Inquiry Rice and Rais.
disclosed the fact that they were
The Khouris, as well as many
first cousins. They were all return- other family names, may also be
ing together to Syria for a visit. cited as examples of the necessity
Their names are Saad, Geo. H. and of uniformity in the spelling of
Salim Rayes.
family names.
But where did these cousins come
from?
One came from as far north as
Michigan, hailing from Detroit. The DR. TALCOTT WILLIAMS
other came from the central State
WAS BORN IN SYRIA
of Ofro, and the third came from
Dr. Talcott Williams, Director
as far south as Arizona.
Emeritus
of the Columbia UniversiThey had maintained corresponty
School
of Journalism, died at his
dence with one another ever since
home
in
New
York on Jan. 24 at
they came to the country and had
the
age
of
78.
Dr.
Williams was one
now agreed that they should return
of
the
outstanding
public figures in
together to pay a visit to the mothAmerica
and
had
won
for himself
erland. All; however, retain their
especial
recognition
in
the
newspabusiness interests in the United
per profession. When the late JosStates.
Further inquiry revealed the fact eph Pulitzer founded the School of
that these same cousins have many Journalism, Dr. Williams was chosen
other brothers and cousins scattered to carry out the donor's ideas and
all over the world. We were inform- was the active head and director of
ed that they had relatives in all the school from its founding in
�-• *
TO^.,^.^^^^.
'"
54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
1912 to the time of his retirement
in 1919.
Dr. Williams was born at Abeih,
in Mt. Lebanon, Syria. His father,
the Rev. Dr. William Frederick Williams, was a resident American Congregational missionary in Mt. Lebanon. Dr. Williams received his
early education in Beirut and later
came to the United States and graduated from Amherst.
Dr. Williams counted among his
intimate friends many Syrians of
New York. He spoke Arabic fluently and on many occasions, when attending Syrian meetings, he conversed with his Syrian friends in their
native language. He was, besides,
a distinguished authority on Near
Eastern affairs in general.
The Syrians may well mourn the
loss of this eminent American whom
they may rightly claim as one of
their own.
ARMENIANS IN SYRIA
effort on behalf of the Armenians is said to be planned in the
neighborhood of Damascus.
:
What is giving rise to resentment
is that the French not only refuse
to take measures to distribute the
Armenians in small groups in different parts of the country, but insist on appropriations being made
for building independent quarters
for them out of the public funds of
the mandated territory, while the
taxpayers of the country are already driven to the point of desperation.
peace,
ties, th
that al
of revc
The latest development in the situation, according to recent mail
from Syria, is that the mandatory
authorities are advocating the establ;shment of special schools for
Armenians in which teaching would
be given in their own language. For
the present, it is stated, four such
schools are under contemplation,
three in the d'strict of Alexandretta
and one in northern Lebanon. The
Syrian press is loud in its condemnation of this policy which tends to
perpetuate a foreign element within
the country. The concensus of opinion is that the authorities, instead
of segregating the Armenians, should
scatter them in small groups in different parts of the country so that
they may be gradually assimilated.
The seventy-odd thousand Armenians in the Lebanon Republic are
causing a further straining of relations between the mandatory authorities and the Syrians and Lebanese.
The French are accused of favoring
the Armenians and acceding to all
their demands to the detriment of
national interests. In Beirut, according to reports, the Armenians
A SIGN OF PEACE
are segregated in a special quarter
The Syrian press reports the grawhere only their native language is
spoken and papers of their own pub- tifying news that all the fortificalished. The Mandatory Power had tions on the roads leading to Daas all the barricades
sponsored a project for building a mascus, as well
;
permanent, independent quarter for within the c ty, are now being dethe Armenians on the outskirts of molished by the French military.
the city but apparently heeded popUp to last August and Ssptember,
ular objections and refrained from the papers state, French soldiers
prosecuting the scheme. A similar were seen engaged in building these
i
5
!
�55
FEBRUARY, 1928
fortifications with mortar and stone,
showing that, to all appearances,
they were intended to be permanent.
That such a change of policy has
now taken place is hailed as an indication of the return of lasting
peace. The French military authorities, the papers state, must now feel
that all danger from any recurrence
of revolutionary outbreaks in Damascus and the neighboring territory
has now disappeared, making it possible to lessen military precautions.
The press of the State of Syria,
however, takes this occasion to express the hope that soon martial law
would be terminated and the Constitutional Assembly convoked to
lay the foundation of a permanent
form of government for the country.
The standing complaint against
the present High Commissioner is
that he has kept the country in suspense too long, and that the time
elapsed since his appointment is
sufficient for his plans to mature.
EARLY EXCAVATION OF
ANCIENT SYRIAN CITY
;
\
Yale University, according to a
report from New Haven to the New
York Times, has organized an archaeological expedition, in collaboration with the French Academy, to
excavate the ancient City of Dura,
on the Euphrates, which has been
covered by the sand of the desert
for more than 2200 years. The Syrian Government has given permission and excavation will be begun
this Spring. As soon as the work
is begun, Professor Michael I. Rostovtzeff will visit the scene. He is
Sterling Professor of Ancient History and Classical Ardhsology at
Yale and has conducted the negotia-
tions with the French Academy, of
which he is a member. An appropriation from the General Education
Board has made the expedition possible.
The history of the present attempt
to excavate Dura dates from 1920,
when British soldiers stationed on
the middle Euphrates at Salihieh informed Miss Gertrude Bell, noted
Orientalist, of the discovery of some
beautiful frescoes in the ruins of
what had been a fortified city.
ECONOMIC DEPRESSION
IN SYRIA
Syria seems to be passing through
a severe economic crisis which is
widespread over all sections of the
country, whether under English or
French mandate.
In Syria proper and Lebanon, the
unsettled political situation, together
with the drought which caused the
destruction of much of the winter
crops, have added much to the misery of the people. Late reports from
Beirut, however, announce that the
plentiful rainfall of the late season
has saved a portion of the crop and
buoyed somewhat the hopes of the
population.
Palestine, according to the American Consul in Jerusalem, is still
suffering from the effects of the financial crisis, but the situation is
better than at the beginning of
1927 and much better than during
1926. With the approaching tourism
season, he says, and the expectation
of a good orange crop, it is hoped
that money will become easier and
credit facilities extended.
While Palestine draws the major
portion of tourists who are especially desirous of visiting the Holy
Places of Christianity, a larger num-
�-—-
56
ber of tourists are now visiting other sections of Syria having places of
great historic interest. The Syrian
Government was lately advised by
tourist agencies in Egypt that
tourists booked to visit Syria
and Lebanon during the present
season number much above three
thousand. Previously, the tourist
trade had been somewhat deflected
from Syria owing to the revolution,
but now that order has been completely restored, there has been a
return of confidence. Last year, for
instance, summer visitors to Lebanon
were well above fifteen thousand.
Other sources of revenue which
are strongly depended upon to rehabilitate the shattered finances of
the country are the steady remittances of Syrian emigrants. The
American Consul in Jerusalem makes
mention of this fact in his report
to the Department of Commerce in
Washington, while among Syrians
it is roughly estimated that emigrants' remittances to their relatives
in the Old Country run well into the
millions annually.
ANOTHER LIBERAL
MOSLEM KING
Much space has been given in the
American press to the description of
the Afghan King's movements in
Europe. His reception in Rome,
Paris and London constituted so
many stages in a triumphal march
of this Eastern potentate in the
principal countries of the West.
But about the most interesting
account is that of his reception in
Egypt, which is, like Afghanistan,
an independent Moslem kingdom.
King Fouad, of course, received him
at the station and official entertainments and public celebrations were
THE SYRIAN WORLD
such as only Eastern enthusiasm
could develop.
While in Cairo, however, King
Amanullah shocked the Moslem
conservatives and caused intense delight to the liberals by deviating so
much from accepted Moslem traditions as to attend prayer at the
mosque on Friday with a Western
hat. The queen, also, appeared
dressed in the latest Western fashion to the extent of discarding the
veil.
A report had at one time been
circulated in the Egyptian press
that the Afghan Queen was of Syrian descent, her father being the
son of a former Afghan Consul in
Damascus, while her mother was a
full-blooded Syrian. No verification
of this report could be obtained,
however, from any responsible quarter .
King Amanullah, like Mustapha
Kamal Pasha; is of extremely advanced and modern ideas. His example may be of far reaching effect
in changing the attitude of Eastern
peoples, especially those who are of
his own faith, towards Western customs. Not only does he set the example but he also takes the pains
of defending his actions in the most
accepted democratic fashion. A
newspaper account of his reception
of the representatives of the press
in Alexandria runs as follows:
"I wish to thank, through you,
the people of Egypt for the cordial
reception given me while in your
country. The press has been most
generous in its praise of me, but,
in truth, all praise should be given
to my people who, in the first place,
were sufficiently liberty loving to
fight for their independence, and,
in the second place, having gained
their independence, were courageous
enough to defend it.
�'
———
FEBRUARY, 1928
"I wish to make a personal observation in the friendliest spirit.
Some Egyptians believe that the
tarboush (fez) is an essential mark
of the Moslem faith. This, in my
opinion, is wholly erroneous. I
would ascribe it in part to malicious
foreign propaganda, for the simple
reason that some foreigners would
want the Moslem to believe that so
long as he wears the tarboush,
Paradise would be made secure for
him no matter how lowly he may
be in his moral or intellectual station. This holds true also in tihe
general matter of dress. The flowing robes of the Egyptian are not
essential in the matter of faith.
What some Egyptians believe now
my own people believed at one time,
too. I have, however, given full
liberty to my subjects to dress in
the manner they please. It is my
firm conviction that a certain form
of dress was never prescribed to a
Moslem. The only qualifications of
the true Moslem are his love for
liberty, justice, truth and equality;
his belief in one God, the Creator,
and his veneration for His Prophet,
Mohammed; and finally, his observance of the obligatory practices of
the faith."
IS IT EXPLOITATION?
i\
I
A Syrian paper publishes the interesting news that a Polish Zionist company has been granted concessions in Southern Lebanon to establish dairy farms on a large scale
and manufacture and sell beer. The
same company, the paper declares,
has found it profitable to raise sugar
beets for the manufacture of sugar
for home consumption. Large quantities of beets could be raised in
the fertile plains of Southern Lebanon and made to yield sugar that
"
57
could be sold for a much lower price
than that of the imported varieties.
Blooded cattle are also being imported for the proper promotion of
the dairy industry.
This same paper upraids the government for granting concessions
to foreign interests which drain the
resources of the country, and takes
the natives to. task as well for occupying themselves with political discussions while wealth is within easy
reach of them and they stand by
idle.
Under the circumstances, it is but
natural to ask if such an arrangement could be properly described
as exploitation.
Of the same nature is another report published in some Syrian papers to the effect that a concession
had been granted to a foreign company for asphalt mining in the district of Latakia. The complaint in
this case being that the exploiting
company had engaged Armenian
laborers in preference to natives.
SYRIA ABODE OF
DEAD ROYALTY
The body of Prince Saif Ud-Deen,
son of the late Ottoman Sultan Abdul-Aziz, who died in Nice a few
months ago, was sent to Damascus
for interment with the permission
of the French Government.
The demonstrations attending the
burial ceremony on Dec. 20 were
most impressive, and many were
seen who wept copiously over the
faded glory of the dynasty that was
once the most powerful in Islam.
Syrian paper? state that the
Turkish Consuls, both in Beirut and
Damascus, made themselves conspicuous by their absence from all
ceremonies attending the burial of
the Ottoman Prince.
�58
A HISTORIC SWORD
COMES TO AMERICA
Readers of The Syrian World are
acquainted with the interesting
legend of the Sword of Emir Bashir
Shehab, once the ruling prince of
Lebanon.
We have learned from Emir Sami
Shehab, a descendent of Emir Bashir, and now a resident of Brooklyn, N. Y., that he was successful
in inducing the owner of the sword,
one of his near relatives, to send
him the sword for display in American museums.
TELEPHONE SERVICE
BETWEEN SYRIA
AND EGYPT
The military commission appointed by the French High Commissioner in Syria to study the proposition
of a telephone line between Syria
and Egypt has submitted a favorable
report stating that both Palestine
and Egypt are ready to co-operate
to any extent required in expediting
the completion of the project. The
Syrian press hails this as a further
link connecting the Arabic-speaking
neighbors of the Near East and
gives expression to the hope that the
service will be inaugurated in the
near future.
SYRIAN WINS SCHOLARSHIP
Local papers of Davenport Iowa,
announce that Alfred Rashid, former high school football star of the
town, and now attending Rollins
College at Winter Park, Fla., has
won a scholarship at the college for
the coming year, having averaged
THE SYRIAN WORLD
I
92 in his studies since entering college in September.
Mr. Rashid, according to the further account of the paper, is captain of the freshmen football team
at Rollins. He established a name
for himself a few days after entering college when he "Volunteered
and gave some of his blood for a
blood transfusion operation which
was performed on a girl in a hospital at Winter Park."
A SKYSCRAPER FOR BEIRUT
A Syrian newspaper of Brazil,
Fata Lubnan, publishes in its issue
of Dec. 24, 1927, what purports to
be a cable despatch from Beirut to
the Syrian press of New York transmitted to a Brazilian paper.
The Syrian paper of Brazil takes
the matter seriously and comments
on it at length in a leading article
in which it accuses France of encouraging Syrians to invest their
capital in home industries which she
proposes later to kill by unfair competition and take over the bankrupt
native industries herself.
Careful inquiry at the offices of
the Syrian papers in New York failed to disclose knowledge of any
such report as that referred to by
the Brazilian paper.
The gist of the report is that a
Syrian Company had been formed
for the erection of an 18 story skyscraper in Beirut, the first five floors
of which would be used for the
manufacture of clothing, while the
rest would be utilized as stock and
show rooms. The most modem
machinery had already been ordered,
it is claimed, from French and Belgian manufacturers.
: V
»
I
i
i
I
�I
FEBRUARY, 1928
Political Developments in Syria
\
*
I
' i I
*
59
I
f
;
The State of Syria is still under at the present t me to the revoluUtartial law, the task of administra- tionary party is the growing distion being entrusted to a provision- sension among the leaders over matal government headed by Ahmed ters of policy. The Syro-Palestinian
Committee,
with
Nami Pasha, the Damad. The rees- Revolutionary
tablis'hment of a civil government headquarters in Egypt, appears to
still waits on the decision of M. be all engrossed in its internal difPonsot, the French High Commis- ferences. Long reports are appearsioner, who seems to be marking ing in the Arabic press of Egypt on
time before undertaking such a step. the efforts being taken to compose
Hopes were entertained that upon the differences and restore harmony
his last visit to Damascus in the within the ranks in an attempt to
latter part of December, he would insure co-operation. Announcement
proclaim the termination of martial of a reconciliation on the basis of a
law and permit the convocation of compromise was made lately in one
the General Assembly to decide on of the Egyptian papers supporting
the form of government to be the Syrian Revolution, but the naadopted for the country, but it trans- ture of this understanding was not
pired that the High Commissioner stated.
confined himself on this visit to atAs reported in a signed statement
tending an official banquet and a
of the mediators between the two
review of the troops stationed in the
opposing factions, the main point of
city, after which he decorated the
difference narrowed down to a deCommander in Chief and returned
claration of policy on the territory
to Beirut without making an official
ceded to Lebanon and claimed to bestatement of any kmd.
long to Syria. The mediators are
Some sort of action, however, Ahmad Zaki Pasha and Ihsan Bey
seems to be anticipated in the near Jabiry, the latter one of the accredfuture, as the Syrian press reports ited representatives of the committhat military fortifications in the tee in Europe who returned to Egypt
city of Damascus and along the ostensibly for the purpose of conroads leading to it are being razed ciliating between the oppos'ng facapparently with a view to loosening tions. The signed report states that
the military grip on the country.
Emir Michel Lutfallah, chairman of
No further military operations of the committee held the view that
any consequenc are now reported all action on the disputed territory
to be taking place in the interior of should be held -n abeyance for the
Syria, and it remains to be seen time being until the larger question
how much truth there is in the of defining the status of Syria should
statements of the revolutionary be settled, wtr'le the opposing facparty that military operations will tion maintains an irr-concilable atbe resumed on a much larger scale titude on the quest:on of the ceded
with the coming of Spring.
territory, or at least that part of it
What seems to be of most concern which at one time formed a part of
�II—
60
the vilayet of Damascus.
What compromise has been reached was not made public, but the intermediaries announce that the former action taken by the general
committee in deposing Emir Lutfalla)h from the Presidency has been
rescinded.
Comprised in the charges against
Emir LutfaHah was the direct accusation that he had been negotiating
with the French for making him a
prince over Lebanon. Emir Lutfallah did not make a flat denial of
this charge, but insisted that whatever negotiations he entered into
with the French, whether in the
East or in Paris, were undertaken
with the knowledge and approval
of the Executive Committee of the
Party. He denied being a party to
the overtures his brothers made to
the French respecting the principality of Lebanon.
In Lebanon the ministerial crisis
has resulted in the fall of the old
Ministry and the formation of a new
one under the premiership of Sheik
Bishara Khoury, the former Premier,
but only on his promise to put into
effect a radical program of economy.
This he did by reducing membership in the ministry to three, forcing
each minister to take over the portfolios of two former ones. Among
the new ministers is Dr. Ayoub Tabet, who had been a resident of New
York for several years during the
war.
CONVENTION OF THE
NEW SYRIA PARTY
The third annual convention of
the New Syria Party was held in
Detroit during the week of January
15, and was attended by delegates
from many Eastern and Western
States. This convention, however,
THE SYRIAN WORLD
was not given the publicity accorded
the second convention held last year,
owing to the absence of delegates
from abroad. As reported by the
secretary to the Syrian papers of
New York supporting the Syrian
revolution, the principal decisions
of the convention may be summed
up as follows.
The Party reaffirms its resolve to
support the cause of the revolution
until the country is freed from the
domination of foreign tyrants.
Regret is expressed over the discord which has torn apart the Executive Committee in Egypt, and a
decision to send both factions strongly worded cables of protest and condemnation declaring that the New
Syria Party of America will withhold any support from either faction
until the differences are composed.
The Arabic papers sympathizing
with the revolution are to be given
patronage and support.
Headquarters of the Party will
be moved to New York City inasmuch as five out of the nine members of the general committee are
located there, this body to form the
executive committee of the Party.
The treasurer's report revealed
receipts from all sources of $7,886.54, while expenditures amounted to $7,229.20.
THE TREATY SYRIA WANTS
One of the principal demands of
the Syrian Nationalists is that
France assume towards Syria the
position that England has taken towards Iraq. They would want to
enter into a treaty with France for
a period of thirty years after which
the Mandatory Power would undertake to definitely evacuate the country. In the meantime they would
./
�FEBRUARY, 1928
!
1/
f
61
tution which will effect foreign interest or rights, or create any distinction between Iraqis, whatever
their race, religion, or language, in
their rights before the law.
Article 4 — This article provides
for the complete and frank negotiaSyrian Nationalists, in short,
tion between the two parties of all
would enter into a treaty with
external political questions calculatFrance similar to that negotiated
ed to have an influence on their
between England and Iraq. This
common interests.
latter treaty, to be sure, had long
Article 5 — The King of Iraq
been in preparation, but was finally
agrees to put the British High Comsigned on Dec. 14 and its terms anmissioner in a position whereby he
nounced in the British Parliament
will be able to keep his Britannic
on Dec. 20, 1927.
Majesty informed of the progress
As an indication to the demands of Iraq and the plans and proposals
of the Syrian Nationalists, it is in- of the Iraqi Government. The High
teresting to know the exact provi- Commissioner will keep the King of
sions of the' Anglo-Iraq treaty. The Iraq informed on all questions
Egyptian paper Al-Kashaf of Cairo, which his Britannic Majesty consipublished on Dec. 19 a summary of ders are calculated to have an inthe Anglo-Iraq treaty which was sub- fluence contrary to the interests of
stantially as announced later in the Iraq or the engagements guaranteed
British Parliament. The summary by the present treaty.
was cabled from Cairo and publishArticle 6 — The subject of this
ed in the Current History of Feb- article i3 the execution of Internaruary. It reads as follows:
tional Conventions regarding the
Article 1 — His Britannic Ma- white slave and drug traffics, illicit
jesty recognizes the Kingdom of trading in arms, commercial equaliIraq as an independent sovereign ty, free transit, navigation, wireless, and aerial navigation, as well
State.
Article 2 — Peace and friendship as the Pact of the League of Nashall exist between His Britannic tions, the Treaty of Lausanne, the
Majesty and the King of Iraq. The Anglo-French Agreement regarding
two high contracting parties engage frontiers and the San Remo Agreethemselves to maintain friendly re- ment regarding petrol.
Article 7 — This article relates
lations, each party doing its utmost
to prevent all illegal actions in his to the execution of the measures
country calculated to have a reper- adopted by the League of Nations
cussion upon the peace and order for fighting disease, including diseases of plants and animals.
of the country.
Article 8 — His Britannic MajesArticle 3 — The King of Iraq assures the execution of these inter- ty will support Iraq's candidature
national engagements which his for admission to the League of NaBritannic Majesty has engaged him- tion in 1932, provided that the presself to execute with regard to Iraq. ent level of progress be maintained
The King of Iraq undertakes to and that things go well in the meanmake no change in the Iraq Consti- time.
have the privilege of membership
in the League of Nations and form
their own national army for the purposes of defense and maintenance of
internal order without outside assistance or interference.
�T
62
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,
~_
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Article 9 — There shall be no
discrimination in Iraq against the
nationals of any member of the
League or of States to which the
King of Iraq has guaranteed similar
rights as to members of the League.
This covers companies constituted
according to the laws of the respective countries, and includes questions concerning commerce, navigation, taxes, the exercise of trades
and professions, and the treatment
of merchant vessels and airships.
The article also provides that there
shall be no discrimination against
the exports or imports of the said
States.
Article 10 — This deals with
British protection of Iraqis in countries where Iraq is not represented.
Article 11 —i A clause safeguarding the validity of existing contracts
between the Iraqi Government and
Britsh officials.
Article 12 — Refers to financial
relations and embodies a new agreement to take the place of the Financial Agreement of March 25, 1924.
Article 13 — A new military
agreement to supersede that of
March 25, 1924.
Article 14 — The existing Judicial
Agreement of March 25, 1924, shall
remain in vigour.
Article 15 — Any dispute as regards the interpretation of the treaty shall be submitted to the International Court of Justice in accordance with Article 14 of the Convention of the League if, as indicated on Article 8 of the treaty, Iraq
enters the League of Nations. The
present treaty will supersede the
two treaties of alliance signed in
Bagdad on October 10, 1922, and on
January 18, 1926, respectively.
Article 16 — The present treaty
is operative upon ratification.
isatirte**
m • I
*
DEMAND POLITICAL
RECOGNITION OF LEBANON
Al-Hoda, the Lebanese newspaper of New York, has been agitating lately the question of recognition by the Powers of the new Republic of Lebanon as a separate
political unit independent of Syria,
and wants to enlist in this matter
the assistance of France.
In its issue of Dec. 20, Al-Hoda
publishes the correspondence exchanged between its editor, Mr. N.
A. Mokarzel, and Mr. Paul Claudel,
French Ambassador in Washington,
bearing on this matter. The reply
of the Ambassador is couched in
the most amicable terms and promises to bring all matters submitted
to him to the attention of the Foreign Office.
The principal questions the editor
of Al-Hoda calls attention to are
the following:
Inasmuch as Lebanon has been
granted a definite political status
independent of Syria, recognition
as such should be given it by the
Powers through the mediation of
France.
The immigration quota for Syrians, including the Lebanese, is set
at one hundred in the United States,
whereas if the independence of Lebanon were recognized the Lebanese
would be given a separate quota.
Because there seems to be a general movement in Latin-American
republics against the Syrians and
Lebanese, France should take the
initiative, being the Mandatory Power, to defend the interests of Syrians and Lebanese before the PanAmerican Congress.
Mr. Mokarzel also cabled to the
Lebanese Parliament asking that
representation be made with the
French Government for consideration of the above demands.
I
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-1
- i
63
FEBRUARY, 1928
HAIEK'S TOURS
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i
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The twelve issues of the first year of THE SYRIAN WORLD
beautifully bound in green cloth, gold-stamped front and
back, with a complete index.
*
:
Many a profitable hour may be spent with this volume
between articles on history, gems of Arabic literature, bits
of wit, wisdom and humor, a veritable feast of poetry, and
the excellent contributions of our best talent both in America and abroad.
With the acquisition of this volume you will be laying
the cornerstone of an encyclopaedia on Syria covering all
branches of knowledge. It is useful to you now and will
be invaluable to the future generation of Syrians in America. (Read testimonials in Reader's Forum.)
�17
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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THE LEBANON NATIONAL BANK
319 FIFTH AVENUE,
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COR. 32ND STREET
DOWNTOWN OFFICE
59 Washington St.,
New York City
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LEGAL DEPOSITORY OF The United States—New York StateNew York City.
MEMBER OF The Federal Reserve Bank—New York State Bankers Association—American Bankers Association.
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Certificates of Deposit, an attractive short-term investment, if left for six months or longer will bear interest for the full term of deposit, at such rates as may be
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A bank account is ESSENTIAL and advisable.
Read carefully the following suggestion:
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
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NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1928_02reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 08
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1928 February
Description
An account of the resource
Volume 2 Issue 08 of The Syrian World published February 1928. The issue opens with an article about Syrian naturalization in the United States by Joseph W. Ferris (and footnotes by Dr. Philip K. Hitti). The next article discusses the issue of Earthquakes in Syria and Palestine by Dr. Bailey Willis of Stanford University. Next is a poem by Dr. Salim Y. Alkazin titled "The Egyptian Violets." There is also another story about the sword of Emir Bashir. Throughout this issue there are excerpts from several Arabic literature works. There is also a continuation of Harry Chapman Ford's play. The issue concludes with the Reader's Forum, excerpts from the Arab press about Syria, and an update on the political situation in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
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Text/pdf
Type
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Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Harry Chapman Ford
Immigration
New York
Palestine
Philip Khuri Hitti
Poetry-English
Salim Alkazin
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/bdeb3d7a14baa28ca848ce18a3f797c4.pdf
5e1f17c44d1a6ae8a3c7dca2beb02861
PDF Text
Text
\
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
I
\
SALLOUM
A.
MOKARZEL,
Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
. !
104
GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK,
By subscription $5.00 a year.
N. Y.
Single copies 50c.
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOL. II.
No. 7.
JANUARY, 1928.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Dreams
3
AMEEN RIHANI
War
KAHLIL GIBRAN
The First Needs of Agriculture in Syria
6
GEORGE KNAYSI
Problems of Syrian Youth in America—II
REV. W. A. MANSUR
Transformation (Poem)
DR. SALIM
9
14
Y.
ALKAZIN
Sparrow and Locust (An Arabian Nights' Story)
DR. N. A. KATIBAH
15
Petra Is Mount Sinai
20
From the Arabic
20
�—_
CONTENTS (Continued)
PAG
Matrimonial Problems of Our Young Generation
2
PAUL DEAB
Her Choice (Poem)
25
C. AsSID CORBAN
{
Famous Cities of Syria — Tripoli
.y
On Love (Poem)
2d
J. D.
CARLYLE
Hydroelectric Development in Palestine
JAMES F. HODGSON
27
Things to Avoid
29
a
3Q
Anna Ascends" (Play)
HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
Arab Proverbs
38
Books and Authors
39
Notes and Comments — By
'
THE EDITOR
43
Readers* Forum
4$
Spirit of the Syrian Press
SO
About Syria and Syrians
54
Political Developments in Syria
61
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
A View of Tripoli
The Jordan
Anna on the Defensive
When the Miracle Happened
�THF
SYRIAN WORLD
m
JANUARY, 1928
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;
SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. II.
JANUARY, 1928.
No. 7.
Dreams
Sy AMEEN RIHANI
And the world will ever dream...
And romance will never lose its magic -power....
In the heart of hidden forces the great dreams of the world
are registered. Nothing of such is forgotten; nothing perishes.
The perfume of the rose rises to the sun; the light of the sun
rocks the cradle of the rose. The dream, not the dreamer, is
always heard. The voice of poetry, not the sigh of the poet, is
registered on the phonographic disc of the universe; and like
the light of the sun, it travels far through the ethereal spaces
of time before it reaches the ear of humanity.
The material voice of the present age, is it not the voice of
the idle fancy of the past? The dreams that were dreams a
thousand years ago, are they not unfolding their reality to-day?
Yea, even the breath of the great dreamers of the world reaches
the heart of the infinite and leaves the impress of human will
and desire on the great path of invisible forces. Everything
must come: nothing that has in it aught of the heart and mind
of humanity, is annihilable.
And the world will ever dream....
And romance will never lose its magic power....
Romance! It stands out even to-day towering above our
intellectual pride as a testimony to the realities of man's dreams
and to the truth of the poetic visions of the soul. Indeed, the
�4
THE SYRIAN WORL1
wildest flights of the Oriental imagination have come back to i
after a lapse of many centuries, have even become the common!
places of everyday life in our Babylons of the West. To ar
Aladin, a Sindbad, an Ali Baba, what were New York but a cit
of magic—an enchanted city built by the Jinn? Even to modi
ern man, even to the sophisticated among the moderns, who ca^
still feel the glamor of romance and experience a momenta/
detachment of the spirit,—rising above the workaday impressio
of things, the vulgarities of convention, the banalities of pars
dox,—but few of the wonders of the imagination can be moi
wonderful than the achievements of science and invention.
And the world will ever dream...
And romance will never lose its magic 'power....
The fabulists of Arabia never dreamt of a power that can
send a message in but a few seconds through thousands of miles
of space on the mysterious wings of the ether. Aladin's lamp
is but a tallow dip of the marvelous compared with the electric
glamor that can be released in a theatre by the little movement
of a key on a switch-board. The Magiq Carpet—behold it in the
monstrous dirigible that will yet roll up the great ocean and
echo above the rolling clouds, and above the realms of the storm,
the romancer's supreme desire. The Rukh Bird, should he come
to life, will readily recognize the aeroplane, who will relate to
him of adventures greater than he had ever experienced over
distant verdant hills and coral sandaled fairy isles. The Magic
Ring? I press a button and lo, I am sped through the streets
of the great city to the Cave of Gems, to the Country of Camphor, to the Valley of Beasts, or to the Land of the Jinn—to a
Museum of Art, a Museum of Natural History, a Zoological
Garden, or to the Cinema. The visionaries of the Arabian
Nights, who discovered populated countries in the depths of the
ocean, never in their visions saw the monsters of steel and electricity rumbling, puffing, growling in the bosom of the earth,
bearing their precious freight through tunnels under water. The
way a modern detective can scent a crime-trail would send a
Hassan or a Delilah to the Jinn for a new code and a more
potential charm against the demons of the underworld.
And the world will ever dream...
And romance will never lose its magic power....
er's
eyes,
�5
JANUARY, 1928
The fanciful is in sooth the forerunner of reason: reason is
„me indeed without the fanciful. Even as the ancients, we live
h-da.y in a world of spirit-forces. The gigantic and marvelous
K the material manifestations of life are the fulfilment of the
dreams that are registered on the hidden tablet of the universe,
^hey are the poetic heights, as it were, in the Epic of Invisible
forces. They are the monuments of the imagination,—the livjg witness to the truth of fable and romance.
Wat
By
KAHLIL GIBRAN
One night a feast was held in the palace, and there came a
man and prostrated himself before the prince, and all the feasters looked upon him; and they saw that one of his eyes was out
and that the empty socket bled. And the prince inquired of him,
"What has befallen you?" And the man replied, "O prince, I
am by profession a thief, and this night, because there was no
moon, I went to rob the money-changer's shop, and as I climbed
in through the window I made a mistake and entered the weaver's shop, and in the dark I ran into the weaver's loom and my
eye was plucked out. And now, O prince, I ask for justice upon
the weaver."
I
Then the prince sent for the weaver and he came, and it was
decreed that one of his eyes should be plucked out.
"O prince," said the weaver, "the decree is just. It is right
that one of my eyes be taken. And yet, alas! both are necessary
to me in order that I may see the two sides of the cloth that I
weave. But I have a neighbour, a cobbler, who has also two
eyes,, and in his trade both eyes are not necessary."
Then the prince sent for the cobbler. And he came.
they took out one ,of the cobbler's two eyes.
And justice was satisfied.
And
�T"-"-"-"""
THE SYRIAN WORLD
The First Needs of Agriculture*
in Syria
By GEORGE KNAYSI
Instructor in Bacteriology, Cornell University, Ithacay N. Y.
The wealth of Syria is not in its subsoil, nor in its wateij
power. Syria is, indeed, fairly poor in both. The wealth ofj
Syria resides in its soil and its perfect climate. When the hopen
of the Syrian as a middle man would have been shattered, an
when other sea ports more fitted than Beirut would have succeeded in diverting a respectable proportion of that city's transactions, the Syrian's only hope will then be the soil, the only
source of true, lasting prosperity. Syria is indeed primarily an<
agricultural country where most of the temperate zone plants can
be grown with undisputed success, and it is undoubtedly one of
the most excellent sections for fruit growing and the perfume
industry on earth.
/
Imagine a soil, sir, to which fertilization, natural or artificial, is practically unknown, to which no "amendments" are
added and on which no rational rotation is followed. Is it not
a marvel that a soil so poorly managed produces any crops at
all!. Syrian agriculture does not give credit to Syrian intelligence
nor to Syrian efforts. The Syrian farmer is a thrifty, hard working man, but Syrian agriculture is primitive in its practices which
have been so ably described by Professor J. Crawford in previous
issues of THE SYRIAN WORLD, and it is indeed a long way behind that of any civilized nation. Syrian agriculture lacks the
capital, and it lacks the modern implements, but more than all
that the real need of Syrian agriculture is science.
It is very difficult to pick a nation which has more admiration for science than the Syrian nation. In spite of the poverty
of the people, dozens of colleges, foreign or native, are taxed
with students to capacity, and the Syrian has learned and is constantly learning. Syria has its able lawyers, its engineers, its
journalists, and especially its poets and historians. The result
of over half a century of American and European tutoring
has given indeed gratifying results, but neither the American nor
the European taught his Syrian pupil how to manage his few
acres, and therefore he still uses the same miniature plough and
JANUA.
pair of
oi yeacs
peasant 1
*nents, a.
absence <
/tional m
f
armer i
he farn
. lothing
^o judge
Hrmistic
5
lent of
i"i3.s beer
jthe mar
JOB
Egy]
jto find,
LThe res
vate trh
•failure,
/ of the \
Ixneans c
•V.to be ca
1< Syria is
"debts.
41s in a
* was in'.,
culture
It was
in a na
capped
the cou
Goverr
B<
growin
refores
of cert
for a g
ment.
seems
which
forests
�JANUARY, 1928
"
I pair of oxen similar to that driven by his forefathers hundreds
of year,s ago. But it is not by the poor implements of the Syrian
peasant that I am judging Syrian agriculture. Modern implements, although very desirable, are not indispensable. It is the
Absence of method, the wasting of the land and the lack of rational management that is ruining Syrian agriculture, and the
f
armer is not to blame for it. From the government, to whom
{he farmer looks for active guidance and encouragement, came
nothing but taxation and more taxation still. Indeed if one is
io judge by the results accomplished, one may say that, since the
fVrmistice, the government did not do much for the improvement of the agricultural conditions in Syria and Lebanon. There
/lias been some pioneering work in cotton growing promoted by
ithe mandatory power which is, at the present time, dependent
Aon Egyptian and American cotton, and which is eagerly hoping
$0 find, in any of its colonies, a suitable section for that purpose.
VThe results have received much favorable publicity. Some private trials that I know of in the Houla section, proved to be a
•failure, not because of an unfavorable soil or climate, but because
'of the weevil and the inability of the enterprisers to oppose any
/means of control. The plans of many land-owners are not likely
i.'to be carried through in the near future, because a land-owner^ in
feyria is usually hard pressed, for cash and heavily burdened with
'debts. In this respect it can hardly be said that the government
i* is in a better position. In fact, there was even a talk, when I
was iri Lebanon two years ago, to suppress the ministry of Agriculture as unjustified by the financial condition of the country.
It was to be replaced by a direction of Agriculture. But what is
in a name! A direction, sincere in its purpose and not handicapped by politics, may prove to be of much superior value to
the country. In fact the most productive organ of the Lebanese
Government has been the Direction of Public Works.
Besides the above mentioned few experiments in cotton
growing, there has been also attempts to draft a plan for the
reforestation of the country and some interest in the control
of certain diseases. On paper, that seems to be very good work
for a government of the age and means of the Lebanese Government. To one who is well acquainted with the situation, there
seems no doubt in the ability of our officials for big schemes
which usually seldom go beyond mere technical discussions. Reforestation and disease control have always been hobbies of the
�8
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Turkish Government, and, if I remember correctly, many attempts to reforest the western slopes of the Anti-Lebanon have *u<
failed because of the lack of co-operation on, the part of the pea- n
sant, and before such co-operation is secured the peasant must understand his own possibilities and his own shortcomings. There lies
the task of the ministry of Agriculture in Lebanon and in Syria.
Any other start is a false one. What did the Governments of
Lebanon and of Syria do for the agricultural education of the
people? I must confess that I do not know enough the condi-*
tions in Syria because I have been out of the country since 1920,J*;
and when I went back two years ago, the revolution made mee>
abandon a study visit I was planning. I know, however, that1
the old school of Agriculture in Soulaymieh is still functioning^
and I was fortunate enough to meet one of its students. In Le- J
banon, a new agricultural school was opened at Tanail, and sev- Y
eral students were sent by the government to agricultural schools n
in France. Those students were not selected, however, on the • |
basis of merit and promise, but they were mostly sons of influ- f\
ential men and chieftains. Most of them, however, were not y\
able, on their return, to secure positions in the government. As <
to the two above mentioned schools, they are of the very elemen- n
tary type and are very inadequate to turn out the men that both e
Lebanon and Syria need so badly. Extension work which made *
of the American farmer the most scientific farmer in the world ji
;e
is entirely unknown in Lebanon and Syria.
To ignore the financial difficulties of the Lebanese and '
Syrian Governments would be bad faith. I realize their inability to put through big projects, at least for the time being, or to
open first class schools of agriculture. Let us adapt our projects
to our means with a hopeful look to the future. To begin with,
let us make use of those students whom the government took the
trouble to send abroad. A dozen such persons, well organized
and capably coached, should be able to render valuable services
and exert profound influence on the farmer and farming in both
Lebanon and Syria, where agriculture needs honest, competent
and hard working men more than it needs funds and machinery.
It is to an enlightened, thrifty, prosperous and peaceful farmer
that I look when I hope to see my country inhabited by a vigorous and healthy nation.
In my next article, I shall discuss the possibilities of dairy
farming in Syria and Lebanon.
Esse:
| American
[nderstan
hip and
^decision t
imerica,
The
[ghts wii
tndition.
im, hap
^r of thi
.anity's ;
.ous, edi
Syrian
Wh;
aoes ask
, and not J
i to ackno\
feel a se
you lose
make no
and horn
people.
Wh:
affiliation
politicall;
hold, anc
you belie
larger ps
one anot
�JANUARY, 1928
Problems of Syrian Youth In
It,
America
By
REV.
W. A.
MANSUR
II.
7/7. The Problem of Patriotism.
Essential to the happiness, welfare and progress of SyrianAmerican youth, their posterity and their race, is an intelligent
Understanding of the meaning of American patriotism, citizenhip and government. As immigrants we have made the supreme
'^decision to make America a permanent home. We owe it to
imerica, to ourselves and posterity to become Americans.
The American Republic is founded on fundamental human
eghts without regard for color, creed, race, station or previous
y?ndition. America's principles are coterminous with human free15m, happiness, liberty. Roosevelt said, "Americanism is a matVT of the spirit and of the soul." Americanism expresses hui .anity's yearning for independence and freedom political, relii.ous, educational and otherwise. American patriotism is native
Syrian nature, character, and aspiration,
j What America does not ask is as important as what she
aoes ask of new Americans. She does not ask that you forget
. and not love the land of your early humanity} that you refuse
! to acknowledge your race and your love of your race; that you
feel a sense of shame because of early material poverty; that
you lose your love for the language of the homeland; that you
make no reference to the talents and achievements of your race
and homeland; that you see no beauty in the customs of your
people.
What1 does American patriotism mean? Certainly not party
affiliation. Rather that you put America first in your thinking:
politically, religiously, educationally. That you believe in, uphold, and defend the Constitution of the United States. That
you believe in the "larger Patriotism". Roosevelt said, "The
larger patriotism demands that we refuse to be separated from
one another along lines of class or creed or section or national
�10
THE SYRIAN WORLD!
origin} that we judge each American on his merits as a man.,
American patriotism also means that you remember thai
the American nation is composed of immigrants. "The Repub-]
lie of the United States is a nation of immigrants," said Dr. Gee
A. Gordon, "a nation of aliens. *** The only oifference amonAmericans is that some came earlier while others came later, inj
deed as it were yesterday to these shores. The only origim
American is the Indian. This historical fact should be foreve
borne in mind."
The native citizen has in his blood an American inheritance
his instincts have been fed with native food} and is alive only
things American. "We (citizens of foreign birth) ask him,
turn, to read in the story of our migration the struggle of 1
ancestors} we remind him of what we have left behind, whafl
we brought with us, and at what cost we gained our America^
citizenship," said Gordon.
American citizenship stands for "our national unity, oun
national endeavor, our national aspiration." It means an un'
divided allegiance to the Constitution of the United States
That "We let the passion for America cast out the passion foi
Europe." — (Emerson). Speaking of the Flag, Charles H
Hughes said, "It means that you cannot be saved by the valo
and devotion of your ancestors} that to each generation come
its patriotic duty} and that upon your willingness to sacrifice an
endure as those before you have sacrificed and endured rest
the national hope."
It means that Americans vote, pay their taxes, obey the law,
and a country worth living in is a country worth fighting for.
IV. The Problem of Religion.
Religious nature reached its highest under Syrian skies.
Atheism, agnosticism, infidelity, are foreign to Syria and Syrians, be they Mohammedans, Christians, Druzes or Jews. Religion is constitutional and a practical need. Out of human hearts
and experience arose faith in God. Man lived the religious life
and then went about constructing arguments for his beliefs. As
man's knowledge develops, his needs increase, so does God's
revelation.
Syrian religious thinking is open to the new knowledge in
science, education, religion, so long as it is knowledge. Tolerance
*.f religio
eformati
Carried tc
I
Ren
•£rid, "By
he ultirr
s to gra
oes not
yrian-A
uman e
nanism
j Rec
' evitable.
right, "I
in Christ
Christiar
thing, gi
;xpresse:
ability tc
::he Metl
flhist, or
amily (
wands,
' >ut by a
Syr
"jious de
and woi
�J
ANUARY, 1928
U
-.f religious faith and worship are native to Syrian thinking. The
eformation spirit was born in Antioch, Syria, with Paul, and was
Carried to Europe, and, in time, reached America.
$
Remember religion is rooted in man's soul. William James
fiiid, "By being religious we establish ourselves in possession of
ae ultimate reality, at the only points at which reality is given
s to grasp." "There is no real religion," says Knudson, "that
oes not in its faith transcend both nature and humanity." For
yrian-American youth religion cannot be made identical with
uman endeavor, science, humanitarianism, evolutionism, utilirianism, eclecticism, progress, or any ism.
J Reconstruction and restatement of religious beliefs is inevitable. Syrian-American youth need guidance. Rashdall is
fight, "Nor does the recognition of the need of reconstruction
in Christian theology reflect a feeling of dissatisfaction with the
Christian religion." Nor any religion, for religion is a growing
thing, growing with human knowledge and need. Mark Twain
jxpresses a succinct truth in his Christian Science: "It is not the
Ability to reason that makes the Presbyterian, or the Baptist, or
•:he Methodist, or the Catholic, or the Mohammedan, or the Budelhist, or.the Mormon; it is the environment." "A Presbyterian
ramily does not produce Catholic families or other religious
Vands, it produces its own kind; not by intellectual processes,
nit by association."
Syrian-American youth are baffled by the numerous reli\gious denominations: the result of freedom of religious thought
and worship. Shakespeare expresses our amazement in Bassa\
nio's words:
\
"In religion,
What damned error but some sober brow
Will bless it, and approve it with a text,
Hiding the grossness with fair ornament."
First, believe your beliefs, doubt your doubts. Syrian-American youth receive sufficient religious and moral training at home
to worship God and love mankind.
Second, attend the church of your fathers and do not coquette with other denominations, unless you are capable of adjusting your religious beliefs.
Third, rise above the prejudice and undignified attitude toward you. Back of unamerican attitudes are shallow and igno-
�THE SYRIAN WORLDi
12
rant thinking. Attend religious institutions where you will h
regarded with respect and taken in on equal terms.
Fourth, beware of religious indifference. It blights and of
ten kills the soul. The bedlam of religious voices brings on th
I-don't-care spirit. You owe it to yourself to attend to youi1 1 *
soul's need. Religion was a national and racial inheritance, it i^f 1
becoming a personal matter and based on personal choice an( i 1
achievement.
The separation of church and state is essential to huma
freedom. Syria and Syrians for ages longed for liberties w|
now enjoy. It's ours to tend the gates of liberty. Beware
prejudice, intolerance, ignorance, superstition, autocracy, an
thing which' shackles human hands, hearts, minds. America's conn-l
stitution does not abrogate religious liberty, it requires that free
men shall worship God according to their consciences, and that
government shall derive its authority from the consent of the
governed without coercion: religious, political, educational.
11
I
V. The Problem of Education.
"To prepare us for complete living," said Spencer, "is the
function which education has to discharge." President Wilson
was right in saying: "Surely a man has come to himself only
when he has found the best that is in him, and has satisfied hi<
heart with the highest achievement he is fit for." Therefore
education must not be defined in academic terms as credit hours,
class periods, courses of study, certificates, diplomas, degrees.
Lack of appreciation of education is a great danger to Syrian-American youth. A Chinese official brought his son to an
American school. He was told there was no room for him.
"There is no desk," said the principal. "Ah," said the official,
"I will buy a desk." "But there is no place for a desk." "Well,
then," said the father, "let him stand for a year."
Money, "pull", friends, are not necessary. "Where there's
a will there's a way" will solve many problems. I worked my
way through academy, college, and seminary and know the difficulties. Henry Fawcett, when a young man, through an accident, while hunting with his father, was blinded by a shot through
his father's gun. "Never mind, father," he said, "blindness
shall not interfere with my success in life." He became England's postmaster-general, a member of parliament, and profes-
"'iisMBMBMHBMHHB
1
f
1
�JANUARY, 1928
13
?or of political economy at Cambridge University.
Little schooling is another danger to guard against. The
New York Evening Post says, "Eighty-five per cent, of all children who enter the first grade in school have to go to work before they reach the eighth grade. The average length of schooling in the United States today is less than six years."
Education pays in many ways. Dean Everett W. Lord of
ioston University College of Business Administration says that
n untrained worker in the years between 14 and 60 may earn
bout $45,000} a high school graduate between 18 and 60 may
|urn about $78,000; and a college graduate between 22 and 60
jay earn about $150,000.
Many are the results of education. It develops our capacities, often with a revelation of suspected talents in us. It reveals life in its broader aspects, helping us to live sanely, soberly, successfully. It gives depth to our convictions, and a broader foundation to our faith. It enlarges our minds and hearts,
nultiplying our enjoyment of life. It increases our earning
bower and our capacity for unselfish world-service. It gets us
n touch and possible possession of the treasures of the past.
If you would be educated read good books. Good books
,nspire the mind, enlarge our vision, stimulate ambition. You
vill think, know, and grow in mind and heart. Read biography,
istory, poetry, science, philosophy. If you can read, you have
o excuse for not getting an education. The public library is
".he best university of the common people.
Syrian-American youth are acquitting themselves in splen; did achievement. THE SYRIAN WORLD is reporting evidences of
\ this fact. The Syrian racial intellect matches with the highest
(
of other races. It is free in America and elsewhere to vindicate
its claim to a place of high leadership in religion, education, commerce, science, and otherwise.
Syrian-American youth, I challenge you to the best in your
racial possession. When genealogists sought to link Napoleon
with Rudolph, the founder of the royal house of Austria, he
said, "I am the Rudolph of my race." Let us, Syrian-American
youth, liberate in the New World through America's spirit, ideal,
and opportunity, the Syrian soul to the glory of our race, through
our posterity, and for the progress of America. Through education lies a sure path to glory for Syrian-American youth.
The realization of the problems of Syrian-American youth
�THE SYRIAN W0RL1
14
JANVi
has brought about certain adjustments. It has called for a co
ing together of Syrians from outlying places. It has called f
a literature on Syria and Syrians. It has created a new outloo
on the part of Syrian parents. It has created a new racial so^
darity. It is uniting scattered families through marriage ti
and other social needs. It is laying a foundation for a growin1
Syrian people in America. It will serve to raise the confider
of Syrians in themselves, their children, and their race. It w
give courage to withstand the onslaught of race, color, and ere
prejudice. It will arouse sympathy for fellow Syrians who ha
like problems. It will bring fellow Syrians to the assistance
a distressed worthy Syrian brother, be he Mohammedan, Chr:
ian, Druze or Jew.
The intelligent understanding of certain social problems by
Syrian-American youth, the better methods of their, solution, and
the social racial consciousness that pertains to them, will enlighten
their minds, give them principles for daily living, and strengthen
their minds and hearts as they face the future and success.
Lo
oarro^
,as clos
left hor
dana as
happy,
Or
.face, ar
trayed t
pened t
"S
lAmeer
you in j
Transformation
By
DR. SALIM
Y.
ALKAZIN
When from my eyes Love's fingers brushed
The scales, things changed their sombre faces;
Now Beauty reigns from every height,
And in the valleys roam the Graces.
When at the shrine of Love I knelt,
And felt his spell upon me creeping,
The world became a field of joy
With hearvest ready for the reaping.
And hate and envy fled apace,
While love for one another
Made every aged man a sire,
And every youth a brother.
i
he cha
o be d
,iever g
Vhen h
Tl
of his v
corner,
"\
row, ru
vance.
"\
"I
Tl
left the
but roa
Su
Caliph'
�tANUARY, 1928
15
Sparrow and Locust
vAn Arabian Nights' Story.
By
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
Long, long ago, there lived in Bagdad a laborer nicknamed
oarrow, and his wife Locust. Their house, though humble,
,as close to the back of the Caliph's palace. Every day Sparrow
left home before sunrise, and returned after sunset with his bandana as full of provisions as his wages could buy. Both were
happy, and their life was free from clouds.
One day Locust went up on her roof to hang her wash. Her
-face, arms, neck and chest were bare, and her scant clothes betrayed the natural loveliness of her form to the Caliph who happened then to be looking out of one of his windows.
"Such poverty ill befits such beauty," said the astonished
jAmeer to her. "Come and live in my palace, and I will array
you in gold."
1
"Your Majesty!" exclaimed Locust, attempting to hide
he charms that she so unwittingly exposed. "Much as I love
o be dressed in gold, I cannot go to you, as my husband has
„iever given me occasion to grumble."
"Make the occasion," replied His Majesty; "this evening,
rhen he comes home, demand a robe of gold or else divorce."
That evening Sparrow was not greeted by the happy smile
*
of his wife. On entering his room he found her curled up in a
corner, facing the wall.
"What can the matter be with my Locust?" exclaimed Sparrow, rushing to her with open arms.
"Nothing! Nothing!" shouted his wife, checking his advance. "I am tired, tired of this life! I am not happy!"
"Why not happy?"
"I want a robe of gold," she answered, and began to cry.
That night Sparrow could not sleep, and in the morning
left the house, dejectedj he could not or would not go to work,
but roamed at random.
Suddenly he found himself at the open entrance of the
Caliph's palace. From his place in the street he could behold the
�16
THE SYRIAN WORLLi .c.
;
magnificence of the interior. He contemplated the spacious court
paved with marble and shaded with orange and lime trees; th<wj
pillared and arched lewans surrounding the court j and the limJ
pid pond in the middle, into which four ornamented lions' hea
poured their generous supply of water, and from the center
which a fountain shot its crystals high up in the air, to fall agaif
in sparkling gems in the rosy rays of the morning sun.
(
While Sparrow was still absorbed by the splendor of tl
scene, behold the Caliph himself came down one of the marbi
staircases, followed by a beautiful black-eyed damsel. He a*]
proached one of the lions at the pond, took off his ring, tuck;
up his sleeves, and washed his face and hands in the cool wat<
The maid stood motionless a few steps back, but as soon as the
Caliph had done washing, she hastened to hand him the towel
which she carried on her folded arm. The Caliph took it, chucked,
her under the chin, and walked away, forgetting the ring on'
the rim of the pond.
Sparrow's heart beat fast at the thought of becoming sud»
denly rich if he could only get the ring. Twice he dashed for)
ward, and twice was he repulsed by the sentinels at the porta'
Before he could make a third attempt, he saw a flock of gees«
hop up to the edge of the pond. One of them, however, ws
lame and failed several times before she finally gained footir,near the ring, which no sooner did she see than pick up ar<
gulp down. Having drunk, the geese hopped down again ar
waddled away in one continuous caravan.
,
Soon after, the Caliph missed the ring, and, notwithstandii
a most careful search, could not find it. He then sent for his
wise men and magicians, and these, too, failed to discover it.
At this Sparrow received an inspiration; at once he ran away
from the palace shouting: "Magician, wise man, fortune-teller,
seer! Finder of the lost! Discoverer of the hidden! Revealer of mysteries!" He leisurely went hither and thither proclaiming his wisdom and skill, and at last turned his steps to
the palace.
"Fetch that man here!" called out the Caliph as soon as he
could make out the purport of the laborer's shouts. "I have lost
my most precious ring this morning," he resumed, as Sparrow
lay prostrate before him 3 "if you will find it, I will make my
recompense measure up to your hope, but if you fail, you shall
have no time to utter your regrets."
MmHm
on.
�JANUARY, 1928
17
"I am your slave," meekly answered the man. "If it please
•Your Majesty let every soul in the palace pass before me."
The Caliph at once ordered that every one be ready to pass
,£»efore the supposed magician. The harem headed the profession—lovely women whose faces were never before exposed
o men. On lifting the veil from over her face, Sparrow read
esentment in the eyes of the Caliph's favorite wife, who, despite
er earnest protest had to submit to the stranger's scrutiny. Next
ime the servants, then the guards, the stable menials, the horses,
id pets, but the magician kept shaking his head to signify negaon.
"Well, then," said the Caliph, "you are unable to find the
gem!"
"Are there no other living beings in the palace?" asked the
aborer.
"None but the fowls in the fowl-yard," answered one of
':the servants.
"Let these pass before me then."
They were driven before him—ostriches, peacocks, turkeys,
ducks, and geese, and last of all came limping along the lame
•~goose.
"Ha!' exclaimed Sparrow. "Catch that goose!"
It was caught and killed, and the ring was taken out of
ts gizzard.
The Caliph's pleasure was unbounded. "Give free flight to
-/our wish, man!" he said to the magician.
"A robe of gold," answered Sparrow.
"A robe of gold, then," repeated the Caliph, and caused to be
delivered to him his favorite's most resplendent robe, and also
gold coins without measure.
Sparrow went home and laid the robe and money at Locust's feet, and made ready to enjoy life.
Now, a few days later, the Caliph's treasury was robbed, and,
of course, he sent for Sparrow. "Listen, magician," he said,
"my treasury is robbed, and I demand from you either the robbers or your head."
Poor Sparrow knew that all was lost, but why die miserably,
he thought to himself. He mused a moment then said, "I am
Your Majesty's slave, but for this I need forty days' grace and
forty fowls from Your Majesty's yard."
These were granted forthwith.
I
:
�SB
/£
^--- --=r
77/£ SYRIAN WORL1
Sparrow took the fowls home and acquainted his wife with
his impending doom, and with how he intended to cheat fat
by living sumptuously for forty days, each day making awa;
with one of the fowls. Locust submitted to the inevitable, an
the following day killed one of the birds, dressed and cooke
it, and, in the evening, presented it to her husband. He at one
fell to, stripped the bones of all the meat, bunched them up
his hand, and flung them vengefully at the door, saying, "Wifi
this is the first of the forty."
Now, it chanced that the robbers were forty in numbe
Sparrow's fame having already reached them, they sent one
their number to eavesdrop at his door. On hearing the remar!1 1
"Wife, this is the first of the forty," the robber ran to his com
rades, saying, "We are apprehended! We are lost!" and related to them his adventure and Sparrow's pertinent remark^
They doubted him, however, and the next day sent another rot1
ber on the same mission; but the experience of this one in no
wise differed from that of the first, for Sparrow gathered the
bones of the second fowl in his hand, and threw them vehemently at the door shouting, "Wife, this is the second of the forty."
On hearing the report of the second man, the chief of the
band determined to find out the truth for himself. It was 2
great holiday festival in Bagdad, and Sparrow abandoned him
self to pleasure; Locust, too, regaled herself, and, unbidden
killed the fattest fowl of the forty. That evening Sparrow, in rf
toxicated with the revels of the day, but unable to forget hV
doom, roared as he flung the bones at the door, "Wife, O wife!
s
This is the third and the biggest of the forty!"
"Spare our lives, O master!" shouted the chief, breaking
into the house and kneeling before him. "Spare our lives! We
are your humble servants and cannot evade your penetration!
Your wisdom encompasses our villainy! We will return the
gold instantly, but condescend to spare the lives of your slaves!"
"Arise, man!" answered Sparrow with assumed dignity,
"you may as well attempt to escape fate herself as to escape me.
Hence! Bring your comrades and the treasure here, to my
house, without delay!"
The chief left, and Sparrow sent word for two hundred
horsemen to seize the band, and before morning both robbers
and treasure were in the hands of the Caliph. And Sparrow was
accordingly exalted in the Ameer's esteem, receiving further favors and largesses.
rerer,
�'ANUARY, 1928
19
But tha queen, the Caliph's favorite wife, could not be coniliated. That Sparrow had unveiled her face was in itself an
adignity that she would not forgive—let alone the humiliation
iff having been examined like the rest; to have taken away her
^est robe added injury to insult; and now that she had seen
ocust and discovered in her a superior beauty her anger flamed
> and she vowed revenge. Sadness made her pale and jealousy
>bbed her of her appetite.
One morning her maid brought her her usual breakfast of
ilk and honey on a tray and begged her to partake of them.
"I have no appetite for these!" she groaned.
"Has Your Majesty desire for anything else?" asked the
-naid.
"Yes!—Pitch!" she screamed.
The maid dared not disobey, and soon added a plate of
itch to the tray. She had not yet left the queen's presence when
. locust flew into the room chased by a sparrow.
"Catch them!" shouted the queen.
Doors and windows were bolted, a fusillade of pillows, cuions, and slippers followed, and, finally, the fugitives were
ptured and placed on the tray, side by side with the other ares.
"Now, cover the whole tray up!" commanded the queen.
The maid obeyed.
"Now!" shouted Her Majesty approvingly. "Call that
,zzard that he may divine to us what there is under this cover.
Sparrow was at once summoned, and she said to him: "Sorrerer, you have already had a glimpse at our face, and now we
allow you another," at which she unveiled her face to demonstrate her resolution. "We have summoned you here to divine
for us what there is under this cover. We give no fowls and
we grant no respite. Before you leave our presence you must
give a correct answer or lose your head."
Poor Sparrow stood mute. He meditated over his career
as a magician, shrugged his shoulders, pinched his lips, and, unconsciously, gave voice to his thoughts: "The first," he muttered, referring to the incident of the ring, "is plain—white—as
white as milk; the second is sweet—as sweet as honey; but this,
the third, is black—as black as pitch; and Oh, cursed destiny!
Were it not for you, Locust, Sparrow would never have fallen!"
�=:
20
TttE SYRIAN WOR
"An oracle! An oracle!" shouted the queen, pulling o
the cover from over the tray.
Sparrow left the palace a Grand Vizier.
PETRA IS MOUNT SINAI
i
Petra, the famous TransJordanian city immortalized by
poets as the "Rose Red City Half as Old as Time," will have
even greater claim to interest if the research of Dr. Fitleef N
sen of the University Library of Copenhagen is accepted by
chasologists.
Dr. Nielsen claims that Petra, already noted for its buil'
ings and tombs hewn out of beautiful variegated rock, is Mov/
Sinai, and he will present technical evidence on which he bathe claim to the Congress of Orientalists at Oxford next Surr
mer.
Dr. Nielsen claims that Sinai means Moon Mountain, i
the centre of worship of the Moon God "Sin," and he declar
there is no doubt that the primitive Israelite religion develope
out of the ancient Arabian.
The sacred name Yahweh (Jehovah) is found in Nor
Arabian inscriptions as that of the national god, and he was o .
ginally worshiped as the new moon, the Arabian lunar deity, if
Nielsen says.
Petra is the only site in the region of the ancient Edom j
taining traces of the ancient cult such as must have had a place
on Mount Sinai before the time of Moses, and it is still called
Wadi Musa, or Valley of Moses. (N. Y. Times, Nov. 10, 1927.)
,
In tr
be a g<
rriagej
^mber o
iments ai
id daily
;ase in t
M fatht
"he story
pened \N
: is true
An i
' i.sinclinat
,.s conce;
inding ;
,ually, n
i the pa
'] Our
. .a fashic
I of the da
and, abo"v
a parent's
of his owi
most desii
was conce
FROM THE ARABIC
^ts existen
Thai
The calumniator's work of an hour will cause disturbances
the many
that last months.
|equal fra
The benefactor lives even though he may be transported to share bur
"women h
the habitations of the dead.
ties, both
directed t
Vile language is the weapon of rogues.
�r&
ANUARY, 1928
2i
\
of
Matrimonial Problems of Our
Young Generation
I
i
By
PAUL DEAB
In the minds of most Syrian parents of today there seems
be a general criticism of their children's indifference towards
Triage; and much dissatisfaction is voiced over the increasing
^mber of intermarriages with other nationalities. These sen(ments are, certainly, not restricted to Syrian parents; one may
ilr
id daily in journals and magazines statistics indicating a de>v/
;ase in the number of marriages; or the story of an irate Amera'„
*n father who is up in arms against his foreign son-in-law.
air ' "he story of the battle royal between parents, whose wisdom has
pened with age, and their dreaming children is centuries old.
,
: is true of all nationalities, but is here restricted to Syrians.
y
ar
An unwarranted reticence, born of a characteristic Syrian
ipe / ^inclination to discuss openly any matter so vital as marriage,
..s
u concealed to a certain extent this undercurrent of misunderor
inding among parents and their children. There is, however,
o
,ually, no great verbal clash; only a wrongly interpreted silence
Ir |
i the parts of both.
IK i Our young people are harshly criticized for living in modi i | . ,n fashion. Their parents, unmindful of the liberal standards
>lace lof the day, resent their children's freedom of speech, thought,
dledi^nd, above all, action. Less than twenty-five years ago, it was
27.) a parent's prerogative to pass judgment in the matrimonial affair
of his own and other peoples' children. A parent's approval was
most desirable in those days, and in most cases the right of choice
was conceded to the parent. This concession is still existing, but
^ts existence is theoretical.
That the attitude of young people has changed is due to
inces
the many changes in the economic situation, which resulted from
/equal franchise, liberal education, and the obligations for all to
d to share burdens equally during the World War. Young men and
"women have assumed a definite portion of financial responsibilities, both from necessity and from choice. This assumption has
directed their thoughts into many channels. For them, the "world
�—y-
22
THE SYRIAN WORLDi
is full of a number of things" besides marriage, and for a time,
they are so carried away by a multitude of activities as to cause
them to feel that they are actually indifferent to thoughts of t
marriage. Formerly a young woman of eighteen had nothing
to do but marry. Now, she thinks of flying across the Atlantic.
A new situation has been created in the home, as a result o.
young folks' effort to gain economic independence. Not on]
have they becoirie financially independent, but they have, als
been strengthened to act independently.
They choose the
friends, and live their lives as they see fit. They are to be OM
gratulated on their attainments 5 at the same time, they must '
wise enough to understand that their parents will not willing^
relinquish their privilege of talking matrimony to them and o:
making decisions.
Intermarrying with other nationalities is true more ca,
Syrian men than women. We believe it was Schopenhauer, who
described man as a creature who:
"Boasts two soul-sides j one to face the world with,
One to show a woman when he loves her.'*
Schopenhauer need not have restricted his description to man
However, many parents, apparently, agree with him, for they
evince an eagerness to unmask the man who plays prince-charm
ing to their daughter. Sincerity never fears tq reveal its colour,
but hurt vanity and resentment will lead a man, in these circurr
stances, to seek companionship where it is more freely bestowec^
There are many intermarriages which are based on true love, am»
these are "their own excuse for being", as the poet said of beaut;
It is just as fallacious to believe that New York young women are ambitious for material wealth, as it is to believe that all
suitors from New York are budding millionaires. It is just as
wrong to feel that all parents are anxious to unmask a young man
for no reason other than their own personal gain. Not enough
can be said for the exacting manner in which parents treat the
subject of their children's marriage. They are anxious for their
children's happiness, and if only by right of their years, they
should exercise their parental authority. However, as age and
youth have lived different spans of life, their choices will be at
a tangent. We find, therefore, many young people recalcitrant
at the thought of marriage because they find it difficult to act of
their own free will and to abide, simultaneously, by their parents' decision.
pathy,
�\
JANUARY, 1928
23
\
Less reticence and more encouragement of whole-hearted
comradeship among all is much needed. Schopenhauer was a
philosopher and philosophers' minds usually become cynical. We,
who have entrusted into our care the happiness of our children,
:annot fulfill our trust and act cynically. We need to show sympathy, tact and understanding. It lies in the power of parents
0 inspire in their children a desire to gain the best in life without
osing a respect for the best in life; and filial devotion is one of
fe's greatest gifts. Sympathy, not condemnation, will penetrate
he cloak of misunderstanding. We may and should find in the
eart of our young people an ideal, best expressed in the splendid, sincere and exemplary counsel of an American writer, the
late Stuart P. Sherman, who wrote:
"I am filled with tedium and passionate craving. I shall
Se hard to satisfy, for I am thirsty for a deep draught of human
elicity. What I crave is not described or named in physiologies,
x crave beauty, sympathy, sweetness, incentive, perfume, deference, vivacity, wit, cleanness, grace, devotion, caprice, pride, kindness, blitheness, fortitude. I will not look for these things where
1 know they cannot be found nor under conditions in which I
know they cannot be maintained. But if I find them, and where
they thrive, I shall wish to express my joy by some great act
of faith and the hazard of all I hope to be. And I shall not
like the town clerk to be the sole recorder of my discovery and
my faith. I shall wish witnesses, high witnesses, whatever is
august and splendid in the order of the world, to enwheel me
">-ound and bid me welcome to that order."
HER CHOICE
By C.
ASSID CORBAN
Ah! thou light-tipped cigarette,
Set within tight-lipped rosette
Of marble blonde or bronzed brunette,
I criticise you freely.
Too tiny, to my notion,
Is your vapour's violet motion,
Henceforth I'll swear devotion
To a thoroughbred arkhelee!
�m
tap* Tj
2*
THE SYRIAN WORLD 'i
Famous Cities of Syria,
Tripoli
Like most cities of Syria, Tripoli had its place of prominence^]
and interest in both ancient and medieval history. Its advantage-]!
ous location at the northern extremity of Lebanon made it morel
accessible as a seaport than other cities along the Phoenician coasSj
and the natural outlet to the sea of the upper valley of the
Orontes. ^ It enjoys, besides, the advantage of being surroundedJt
by a fertile plain which is capable of producing large quantities' ,/
of fruit for export.
'
Prior to the thirteenth century, Tripoli was located on the
present site of Al-Mena, on a peninsula connected with the mainland by a narrow neck of land and well fortified on all sides. *
In 1289, however, it was taken and destroyed by the Sultan ,
Kalaun of Egypt, and a new city begun on the present site which pis about two miles inland. Al-Meena, or the port, as its name'
indicates, serves as the maritime outlet of the city and could never regain the importance that Tripoli proper once enjoyed. Both;
are still governed as a single municipal unit and their aggregate ..*
population is about 30,000.
\
The Arabic name of Tripoli is Tarabulus, and in the timesi,
of the Greeks and the Romans it was known as Tripolis, or the
triple city. This name was given it by reason of the fact that
during Persian times it was the seat of the federal council of
Tyre, Sidon and Aradus, each of which maintained a separate
quarter in the "triple town". This was the golden age of Tripoli in ancient times, approached only when the Crusaders took
it after a prolonged siege and made it a great export center to
Europe of glass and textiles. There were at that time in the
city 4,000 looms and it was also noted for its paper and sugar
industries.
Tripoli, like other cities of the Syrian littoral, was subject
to the visitations of earthquakes. It was destroyed in 450 and
again in 550 A. D. Following Arab occupation it was a wellknown center of learning, the ruling 'Ammar family having en-
.
�>-,»•
A VIEW OF TRIPOLI
Huddled together around the ancient fort are many houses of modern construction indicating the
growing prosperity of this Syrian city.
2S
MMNMHMi
�JANU
couragi
100,00
times,
T
tion, a
I several
^xercis'
:
amilic
|iairs, ;
,>irthd;
^|ims f
fhese i
r
The historic and sacred river in Palestine the waters of which are to
be utilized in an ambitious hydroelectric development project.
This
view shows the upper course of the river spanned by a Roman bridge.
Beirut
formir
toman
on a s
mount
the ca
tory v,
tonom
vilayei
territo
which
ly a t
of Bei
»ursu<
fcied ii
of a \
to the
daries
plain
sea, w
sectioi
1
in wh
of coi
reasor
to cec
poli a
1
�JANUARY, 1928
I
25
couraged pursuit of knowledge by establishing a library of over
100,000 volumes which was a pretentious undertaking for those
times, considering that all books were in manuscript.
There are in the city several mosques of beautiful construction, one of which is said to contain a priceless relic consisting of
several hairs of the Prophet's beard. It was only through the
exercise of great influence of one of the leading Mohammedan
:
amilies that it was possible to come into possession of these
.' lairs, and the annual festivities attending the celebration of the
irthday of the Prophet attract to Tripoli great throngs of Musms from the surrounding districts owing to the presence of
hese relics.
During Turkish rule in Syria Tripoli was a tributary of
Beirut which was the capital of a vilayet by the same name, and
forming one of the strangest political divisions in the whole Ottoman Empire and perhaps in the world. Beirut city is situated
on a small maritime plain in a central location of the Lebanon
mountain range. It was the capital of the state, or vilayet. But
the capital stood alone flanked on both sides by Lebanese territory which, ever since the disturbances of 1860, was granted autonomy under guarantee of six European powers. Between the
vilayet, which was governed directly by Turkey, and Lebanese
territory with its own governor and gendarmerie and over
which Turkey exercised but nominal suzereinty, there was hardly a thing in common. Lebanon was practically independent
of Beirut and the Turkish authorities of the city could not even
•mrsue a criminal into Lebanese territory although it was hemined in by it on three sides. Nevertheless, Beirut was the capital
of a vast vilayet which extended beyond Lebanon on the South
to the borders of Palestine and on the North almost to the boundaries of Turkish-speaking territory. Tripoli, situated in the
plain extending from the foothills of northern Lebanon to the
sea, was the principal city of the vilayet of Beirut in its northern
section.
In other words, here was a state whose capital was located
in what amounts to foreign territory and having no direct means
of communication with its territory except by sea. The obvious
reason for this strange arrangement was the reluctance of Turkey
to cede any seaports to Lebanon although both Beirut and Tripoli and other coast cities fell within its natural boundaries.
After the French occupation of Syria, however, a different
\
�mm
THE SYRIAN WORLD
26
administrative arrangement was effected whereby not only Beirut
and Tripoli, but Tyre and Sidon, as well as the plain of Beqa£
were ceded to Lebanon as falling within its natural boundaries.
Tripoli, under the new arrangement, was aspiring to become a
great port but found its ambitions checked by the predominance
of interests favoring Beirut. Then came the demand of the interior state of Damascus for an independent outlet to the sea anc
it was openly hinted that Tripoli afforded this natural outlet ir
that it was the city on the coast most accessible to the plain oi
the Orontes and the hinterland. But so far nothing has come
of these efforts of Tripoli to secede from Lebanon although the
agitation to that end has not abated.
The economic possibilities of Tripoli could permit of vast"
development. At present it is connected with Beirut by a steam
tramway and with Horns by a carriage road. It is planned to
push the railroad from the city to a point in the interior where
it would form a junction with the trunk line of Beirut and Aleppo. Docking and storage facilities, however, are still inadequate
in Tripoli, and it is served only by a small line of freight steamers making weekly calls at Al-Meena.
ON LOVE
By the Arab Poet
ABOU ALY
Translation by J. D.
CARLYLE
I never knew a sprightly fair
That was not dear to me,
And freely I my heart could share,
With every one I see.
It is not this or that alone
On whom my choice would fall,
I do not more incline to one
Than I incline to all.
The circle's bounding line are they,
Its circle is my heart,
My ready love the equal ray
That flows to every part.
�J
JANUARY, 1928
27
Hydroelectric Development In
Palestine
By JAMES F. HODGSON
American Commercial Attache in Cairo, Egypt. *
The necessity of importing all its fuel has been the most
serious handicap to the industrial development of Palestine, and
the principal factor in the future economic progress of the country is the Rutenberg project of hydroelectric development.
The Rutenberg plan, which has the official sanction of the
Palestine Government in the form of a concession for 70 years
to the Palestine Electric Corporation (Ltd.), Tel-Aviv, Palestine, calls for the harnessing of the Jordan River at intervals
from its source to the point where it empties into the Dead Sea,
in addition to the utilization of the waters of the Yarmuk River
in the same manner. The first dam will be constructed at the
point where the Jordan River leaves Lake Tiberias (the Sea of
Galilee) with a power house at the town of Abadieh. Between
these two points there is a fall of 40 meters in 8 miles.
The promoters assert that by using the Lake of Tiberias
as a natural reservoir the neighboring country will be insured of
a steady supply of water throughout the year, whereas at present this section usually suffers from drought every year during
the dry season.
High tension lines of 66,000 volts will run from the first
power house to transforming stations located at the main centers
of consumption, where the power will be redistributed over lines
carrying 15,000 volts for the country districts and 6,000 volts
for the towns.
It has been estimated by the promoters that when the first
stage of the development is completed a supply of 70,000,000
kilowat-hours of energy per year will be provided and that consumption, according to the present requirements, will be 20,000,000 kilowat-hours a year, which will leave a considerable surplus
for new industrial enterprises. With the harnessing of the Yar* Reprinted from "Commerce Reports" of December 19, 1927.
�28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
mule River, it is thought that an additional 60,000,000 kilowathours a year will be developed which will create a still greater
surplus. In the estimate of the consumption of electrical energy
in Palestine, consideration has not been given to the possibility
of such outlets for power as the electrification of the railroads,
which the Government has decided upon in principle in the event
of the successful carrying out of the project. The cost of the
original installation under the Rutenberg plan has been estimated at $4,500,000.
In addition to the hydroelectric development the Rutenberg
scheme also calls for the construction of a system of irrigation
ditches which would convert many large sections of arid land
into farms.
Another phase of the project calls for draining the marshes
in the neighborhood of Huleh, which will make available some
50,000 acres of land for cultivation. However, this reclamation
scheme is only a minor phase of the Jordan River development.
Under the terms of the concession, the country has partial
relief from taxation. During the first 10 years the amortization, depreciation, and reserve shall, for taxing purposes, be
deemed expenses and not profits, and during such period no tax
shall be levied on the profits of the company, unless the profits
shall have been sufficient to pay a cumulative dividend of not
less than 6 per cent., tax free. If any tax is levied on electrical
energy or fuel employed in the production thereof, then the
rates may be accordingly increased. The payment of any customs duties may be deferred until the profits of the company
are sufficient to pay a dividend of not less than 8 per cent., tax
free, and such payments shall then be made in yearly installments
of 5 per cent.
In the event the profits of the company, after deduction
for amortization, depreciation, reserve fund, and taxes, permit a
dividend of 15 per cent., all profits in excess of this amount
revert to the Palestine Government.
The concession not only covers the exclusive utilization of
the Jordan River and Yarmuk River for hydroelectric purposes,
but provides that during its continuance no further concession
may be granted to any other person or company for any of the
following purposes: To construct canals, dams, reservoirs, watercourses, pumping stations, or other works for the generation of
electrical energy from water power j to construct, equip, install.
^. MM
(
�29
JANUARY, 1928
and operate water or fuel or other electric stations j to construct,
equip, install, and operate overhead lines and underground
cables; to install electric lighting in streets, dwellings, and buildings j to supply electric energy for consumption by docks,
wharves, railways, plantations, mills, factories, work-shops, laboratories offices, houses, and by all agricultural, industrial, commercial, and public or private establishments or undertakings of
whatever kind.
The above clauses, however, do not apply unless in each
\ instance the concession shall have first been offered to the com\ pany upon similar terms which shall be fair and reasonable.
But the concession is not to be construed as restricting the construction or operation by the Government or any other person
or company of any telegraph or telephone works.
The company may construct electric tramways and railways
in priority to all others j establish and carry on factories, works,
and undertakings necessary or convenient for the production of
material and machinery required for the concession.
The Government has the right to acquire the property at
the expiration of 37, 47, 57, or 67 years if the company be given
sufficient notice and liberal compensation. The concession, however, cannot expire and the undertaking pass without charge to
the Government until the amortization fund is sufficient to retire
the share capital.
The company which holds the above concession has already
constructed electric-power stations in the cities of Haifa and
Jaffa, which are financially successful.
Although the Rutenberg pro jet appears to be somewhat
ambitious, when one considers the small population and limited
resources of Palestine, reports of engineering experts are to the
effect that the plan is feasible.
THINGS TO AVOID
Said Al-Ghazali: Avoid four things to escape four things.
Avoid envy and you will escape grief. Avoid bad companions
and you ,will escape censure. Avoid sins and you will escape
hell fire. Avoid the accumulation of wealth and you will escape
the enmity of men.
..
^.wfeWB
�30
JANL
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"Anna Ascends
and in
identitj
Howart
fore, bi
ress in
next ds
gether.
him en;
aifectio
55
By HARRY CHAPMAN FORD
PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME AS ORIGINALLY
PLAYED ON THE NEW YORK STAGE.
"kiss an
Th
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING ACTS
Gents, a high-bred American, is discovered in the restaurant of SaidJ
Coury, a congenial Syrian whose true Americanism is far more than his!
poor English indicates. The waitress, Anna, is a hard working, honest
girl who continually strives to learn and always carries a dictionary. Gents
takes interest in her and helps her learn better English. Two under-world
characters, Bunch and Beauty, have designs on Anna and plan to force
her into disreputable traffic. They enter the restaurant and Bunch encircles Anna's waist with his arm and moves his hand in a familiar and
disgusting manner to her breast. She bites him viciously and he hurls
curses at her. Gents springs to her defense and forces an apology from
the detractor. Bunch and Beauty leave threatening Anna with revenge.
Two finely dressed American young women, Nell and Bess, sister and fiancee of Howard (Gents), enter the restaurant and are surprised at Howard
frequenting such a haunt. They disdain Anna and Howard proceeds to
prove to them that she is a better American than they are. Howard
leaves with the visitors and presently Rizzo, the cop, enters and announces
that he is looking for Bunch for a recent theft of a shawl. Rizzo departs
and is soon followed by Said, the proprietor, leaving Anna in the restaurant alone. Bunch enters and offers the stolen shawl to Anna who spurns
him and, as he proceeds to use force, she stabs him. Leaving him for
dead, she flees the place in the enveloping darkness of the night.
In an elaborately furnished office of a large publishing house in uptown New York, the former secretary of Mr. Fisk, head of the firm, is
about to get married and is inducting her successor, Miss Adams, in her
duties. Miss Adams speaks perfect English but with a slight foreign accent. Fisk examines her credentials and discovers that in a short time
she made several changes. She explains that in some cases she was discharged, in others, left of her own will, but always for one reason, namely that of biting men who attempted to kiss her. She relates a personal
story similar in every respect to a newly published book which proved an
instant best-seller and Fisk's suspicions are aroused as to her identity.
Miss Adams parries with him on the question and he resolves to take
other means of satisfying his curiosity. In the meantime Howard, son of
Fisk, returns from an extended trip and meets Anna but does not recognize her and his "interest" in her is evident from the start.
Through a clever piece of detective work Fisk discovers that Miss
Adams is the author of the book which had created a literary sensation,
m
Hudsor
hat al
t for :
presses
I her sec
ates tl
secreta
ed to A
him at
I with £
'"> that ei
torts t
> pressei
I promis
f arrives
while 1
the roi
who w
had al
.u.until 1
perien
t» hia
on a
cloth,
the g
ner. 1
were
..
sport
mous
low
Engl
�«
\
(.
JANUARY, 1928
31
and in a confidential conversation with her prevails on her to reveal her
identity. He also informs her that she had become rich on her royalties.
Howard returns and tries hard to recall where he had met Miss Adams before, but she is relieved that he does not recognize her as the Syrian waitress in the Washington St. restaurant. He makes a date to see her the
next day. Meanwhile Howard's sister and fiancee return and all leave together. Upon being left alone Anna calls the office boy William and has
him enact an old scene she had with Howard by having him spell the word
affection and pronounce it LOVE. Anna then gives the boy the promised
ikiss and is happy at the thought that Howard will come back.
The next scene is the summer home of the Fisks at Irvington-on-theHudson, Fisk endeavors to induce Anna to marry Howard, but Anna replies
hat although she has realized her happiness in Howard she cannot take
t for reasons she cannot explain. Anna is later alone with Howard who
presses his suit to the point where Anna, to escape being forced to give up
? her secret, tells Howard she does not love him. Nell breaks in and insinuates that Anna could not dress so expensively on the meager salary of a
I secretary. Howard appeals to his father who dispells any suspicion directt ed to Anna and counsels his son to have patience as Anna will surely accept
« him at the proper time. Soon after, Anna finds herself alone in the room
with Nell who has designs on Howard, and during the verbal encounter
"l fchat ensues Nell accuses Anna of aspiring to be a lady and the latter re' torts that she is jealous. Howard and his sister enter and the latter expresses apprehension over the safety of her presents and has her brother
| promise to sleep in the room where they are kept. William, the office boy,
arrives with a case of jewels which Fisk commits to a drawer of a desk
J
while Bunch watches. Later when apparently everyone had left Bunch enters
H. the room and forces open the desk to steal thel necklace, not noticing Anna
who was reclining in a large chair. Anna recognizes Bunch as the thug who
had attacked her in the Syrian restaurant and stalls him by conversation
until Howard arrives and the thief is captured. It is then that Anna experiences unbounded relief and promises Howard to give him an answer
to hia question the following day.
ACT FOUR—I.
(Act Four—Same as Act One. The entire shop has taken
on a prosperous look. A telephone has been installed, clean linen
cloths adorn the tables, electric lights have taken place of gas,
the goods behind the counter are in an orderly and uniform manner. White enamel letters have replaced the old yellow ones that
were painted badly on the windows in the first act.)
(At rise—Said and Beauty Tanner are discovered. Said
sports a clean apron, but is in his shirt sleeves and shows an enormous expanse of maroon colored vest, white stiff collar and yellow tie. He is busy behind the counter. He speaks no better
English than he did in the first act. Beauty is dressed in a white
'
—.
"
"
• -
-
*r*-»v«*.
�n'
32
i
THE SYRIAN WORLD
smart waiter's coat and apron and is busy filing the salt cellars,
and tidying up the tables all around. He was caught in the first
draft, saw a year's service in France, and with the help of army
training he has reformed, bringing back a war cross to his credit.)
SAID — One lump of das sugar to customer today, Beauty,
one lump.
BEAUTY — Right.
SAID — Der's been no fighting for over a year, but das war
don't seem to be over yet.
BEAUTY — Well, it's over for me, all right, all right.
SAID — You are a hero, with a war cross.
BEAUTY — I fought because they made me, and I ain't nev
er yet learned why they gave me that medal.
SAID — Don't know, don't know. / know. Eet was all in
de papers, and your picture, Beauty, your picture.
BEAUTY — Wonder where they got it. Out of the gallery,
I guess. It didn't have a number scribbled on it and a side view
besides, did it?
j J
SAID — No, boy. They forgot all about your former bad- \
ness, and I am proud of you, das whole ward das proud of you. * j
(Rizzo appears on walk and comes down to steps into the shop.lt,•
He has now been advanced to detective duty and covers the lojt\
buildings that have sprung up all over the district.)
J I .
BEAUTY — Here comes ol' Rizzo.
i
SAID — Yas.
/
BEAUTY — (Without any fear.) Wonder what he wants
here? (Rizzo enters shop.)
SAID — Howdo, Mr. Rizzo.
BEAUTY — Hi' Chief.
Rizzo — (Looking at Beauty.) Hi'. My what a change,
what a change.
BEAUTY — You said it.
Rizzo — I've got news for you.
BEAUTY — You ain't a-going to pinch me, are yer?
SAID — Das good boy, Beauty, das hero.
Rizzo — Pinch nothing, naw. How long has it been since
you saw your old side kick?
BEAUTY — You mean Bunch Derry?
Rizzo — Yes.
BEAUTY — Not for nearly two years. We don't follow the
\
3
A
S3
a.
ft,
<
X
"]
�Bunch — Dished, dished by a moll.
(To Anna) I'll get you for this.
��\
X
JANUARY, 1928
i
a
I
1
'
•
>
«
f.
same line of business anymore.
Rizzo — Well, he "got his" trying to crack a crib in Irvington-on-the-Hudson last night.
BEAUTY — They croaked him?
Rizzo — No. They got him
with the goods. He's as
good as up for life now. Twenty years at the least.
BEAUTY — Ain't that hell, now. Them crooks all get it,
sooner or later.
Rizzo — (To Said.) They got him in your landlord's home.
SAID — Meester Fisk'ees?
Rizzo — Yes, and with all the family jooelry. He's through
—sure.
BEAUTY — Maybe I ain't glad that I'm a hash slinger. I
tell you, them petty crooks ain't got a chance these days, not a
chance.
SAID — Meester Fiskk'ees son will be here to see me today.
I'll ask him. He only be here three or four time after my little
Anna she disappear, den he come no more.
Rizzo — Did he know Bunch?
SAID — No, I tink not.
Rizzo — Well, it's Bunch Derry all right. The Chief got
it over the phone. (Starts for door.) Just thought I'd drop in
and tell you, Beauty.
BEAUTY — Thanks, but I ain't interested.
SAID — No, Beauty's das good boy. He no "duster" no
re. He's hero.
Rizzo — I'm on a case in the neighborhood and I may drop
in and see you again.
SAID — Sure, Meester Rizzo, come in and have dinner.
Rizzo — (Mounting the steps.) No, I won't sting you for
a dinner. So long.
SAID — Ma' Essalama.
BEAUTY — So long.
(Rizzo exits off left.) (To Said.)
\ You never heard from that Anna, since she disappeared?
}
SAID — Never. My little Anna, she was such a good girl.
BEAUTY — Maybe she's dead.
SAID — Mebbe, but I don't tink das. She tink she kill that
\Bunch Derry and she runs away. Den she 'fraid to come back,
v
BEAUTY — Bunch would never a-squeeled on her.
SAID — I know das, but how Anna know das?
!
BEAUTY — That's true.
L
r
33
�war..
f
^aM
I> I (
\
THE SYRIAN WORLD
34
SAID _ She had one-hundred-five dollar when she runs
away, mebbe she went back to the old country, nearly. _
BEAUTY — Not a chance. If that girl was as wise as she
looked, she stayed in lil' ol' New York. That's the way to fool
the cops. Get as near them as possible and step on their toes.
Then they will apologize. Don't / know?
SAID — Yas, you ought-ter.
BEAUTY — There are only two things that queer a crook s
game. Two F's. Flight and Fear. If you are not afraid of
brass buttons and don't run away, you're safe as a priest. Safer.
SAID — Das Anna girl was 'fraid of nothings.
BEAUTY — Well, she wasn't afraid of Bunch Deny anyhow.
Remember the day she bit his hand?
SAI,- — Yas.
BEAUTY — Well, you can bet your last "roller" that she
thought she croaked him, and if this case of Bunch's gets any
showing in the papers and runs his mug, and she sees it, or even
reads his name, she'll come back, if she is alive.
SAID — I hopes, I hopes. (Phone.) I answer, Beauty. (In
phone.) Hullo — yas
das me. Yas
I send dem
two
o'clock
yas. Goodbye. (To Beauty.) Two gallon oil for
Smith & McNiel's at two o'clock.
BEAUTY — I'll take it over to 'em. (Takes off apron and
coat and gets coat and hat from wall rack.)
SAID — (Gets two one-gallon oil cans from behind counter.)
Here.
BEAUTY — No bill with this?
SAID — No, I charge it.
BEAUTY — (Picks up cans and starts for door.) Right. 1 m
off. (Phone bell rings.)
SAID — (In phone.) Hullo — Yas — Dees ees five seex seex
Rector __ Yas, das me
(Anna appears at top of steps and
peers in shop. She is exquisitely dressed in tailor made sutt and
furs ) Yas indeeds — Yas, Meester Gents
(Anna descends
the steps and enters.) I means Meester Feesk. I wait for you
now. Yas, sar. Goodbye. (Anna's face is well covered by her
hat and furs.)
/
ANNA — You are the proprietor here, my good man?
$AID — (Awed by her wonderful presence.) Yas, Miss,
yas, Miss.
ANNA
.
. .
— I have come to make some inquiries.
\JANU
�\JANUARY, 1928
SAID — Yas, Miss. What
ANNA — I have come for
35
das, Miss?
some data, information, to ask
questions.
— Now, Miss, I gets you.
ANNA — I wish references concerning a servant, parlor maid
and waitress, by the name of Fadma Zackey, do you know her?
SAID — Oh, yas, Miss, I know her, well, ver' well.
ANNA — Is she good?
SAID — She good, yas—for nothing.
ANNA — Then why did you keep her?
SAID — Because all das time I tink my little Anna, she come
back.
ANNA — Little Anna?
SAID — Yas, Miss, das my girl I had 'fore das damn Fadma.
Anna, so sweet, so good an' smart.
ANNA — You liked Anna, then?
SAID — I loved her. My little Anna.
ANNA — Where is she now?
SAID — If I knew where she was she would be here and no
place elses.
ANNA — She left you, then. The girl couldn't have cared
very much for you.
SAID — I knowd
and Anna, she knowd, too.
ANNA — Do you ever expect to get her back again?
SAID — I don't expect, yet I always hope.
ANNA — (Crosses over to tables and inspects them.)
So,
you would not advise me to engage Fadma?
SAID — If you want something jast to hang around the
house, engage her, but if you want what you call a parly maid,
don't.
ANNA — I thank you for the information. I will not engage her.
SAID — No. Don't. (He goes up to end of counter and
opens case, starting to take a package of cigarettes.)
ANNA — Perhaps I may find your Anna.
SAID — No. I tink she dead. (Me comes down to lower
end of counter and breaks open the pack of cigarettes.)
ANNA — (At center. Sharply.) Hey, dare.
SAID — (Dully.) Miss?
ANNA — You tak cigarette from das case and no pay for
'em?
SAID
I
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
36
— How
I
— How you expect to get reech, if you meex up das
accounts like das?
SAID — It's, it's
ANNA — I bet das damn Fadma girl, she let you do as you
lak.
SAID —I (Crossing over as he realizes who she is.) Anna
Anna
My little bab-by
my little girl
You come back....
you come back...to me... to Said... at last... my little girl.... my
good little girl.. you come back
you come back... back... back....
(He breaks down completely.)
ANNA — (Patting his bowed head, tenderly.) Boss mans
mans.
SAID — Anna
Anna
Anna
ANNA — Yes, Anna has come back... at last
come back
rich, to take care of you, as she promised.
SAID — My little Anna
rich. (He looks wp.) Rich and
a fine great lady.
ANNA — A fine woman, I hope
boss mans.
SAID — Where, oh, where you bin all dis times?
ANNA — I've been "going up".
SAID — You left me wid no girl, and I had to tak das damn
Fadma, you know it?
ANNA — Poor Said.
SAID — Why you do das, hay?
ANNA — I was a fugitive from justice, I thought, and I
had grave fears that the authorities might apprehend me.
SAID — App
appre
You spek das English almos'
good as me now.
ANNA — Oh, quite as good, Said.
SAID — Tells me all, my good little girl, tells me all.
ANNA — I'll tell you all, in time. (Looks around the store.)
What girl have you with you now?
SAID — No girl. I got a hero — Beauty Tanner.
T
ANNA — (Alarmed.) W hat? Beauty Tanner, why, his pal...
SAID — Oh, Beauty's all right. He good boy now. Hero
with a war cross. He fight for my country and gets das cross
and has no more badness.
ANNA — But his pal, Bunch Derry was
SAID — They no pals. He ain't seen Bunch in near two
year.
SAID
ANNA
�JANUARY, 1928
37
ANNA — And I do not think he will ever see him again.
(William appears at top of steps, carrying a dress suit case. Anna
sees him.) This is the place, William. Come on in.
WILLIAM — (Entering with a rush.) This is a new district
to me.
ANNA — My foster father, William. Mr. Said Coury.
WILLIAM — Howdo, sir?
SAID — Tanks to meet you.
ANNA — I see you have the case. Was it very heavy?
WILLIAM — Naw, Pd carry a two-ton safe for you, Miss
Anna.
ANNA — I will reward you, William.
WILLIAM — Nix, nix, Miss Anna. Your Pop might
ANNA — (Takes a small case from her bag.) Oh, a new reward this time. For bringing me home from Irvington last
night. (She hands him a very serviceable boy's watch and chain
from the case.) For a good boy.
WILLIAM — (On tha verge of tears.) Aw, Gee. Miss Anna, I
you
SAID — Ain't das fine, now?
WILLIAM — She's an angel. That's what she is.
ANNA — Nonsense. You worked for and earned it.
WILLIAM — Gosh, I near forgot. Mr. Howard has left
I the office in his car.
I
ANNA
— What?
WILLIAM — I took the subway express and beat him to it.
You've got to hustle.
ANNA — (Picks up suit case.) Who has my room?
SAID — Beauty, but he's out.
ANNA — May I use it, Boss mans?
SAID — You do what you lak.
WILLIAM — You gotter hustle, I tell you.
ANNA — Go up and keep watch, William. (William goes
up and stands on steps.) Said, do you think you can guard a secret
for me?
SAID — With all my lives.
ANNA — If the same Anna that left you three years ago
was to come back, do you think that you could let her work here
for a short while and not give her secret away to a living soul?
SAID — I lie lak hell for you.
ANNA — No. All you need say, is that Anna has come
�THE SYRIAN WORLD;
38
back.
Can you do that?
SAID — Sure. Das is the truth. Anna come
WILLIAM — No where in sight.
ANNA — Oh, never mind waiting, William.
back.
Go back to
the office before they miss you.
WILLIAM — Not much. I'm going to the ball game, I am.
(Starts up the steps.) Mr. Fisk, he said I could go. Goodbye.
(Runs off right.)
ANNA — (Picks up suit case.) That boy would rather go to
a ball game than
than kiss me.
SAID — (Looking at suit case.) What you do, Anna?
ANNA — I am going to work for you for about fifteen minutes. (Starts for steps, back of counter.)
SAID — What shall I do with Beauty, when he come back?
ANNA — (Going up stairs.) Oh, send him to the ball game.
SAID — But suppose he no lak das ball game?
ANNA — Then kill him. Anything. (Exits up stairs.)
SAID — Keel him?
ANNA — (Off.) And if you give me away to Gents, I'll
kill you.
SAID — I tell you once, I lie for you lak
ANNA — Never mind, I know.
(To be continued.)
sym
fain
ing
mor
"an
in I
autl
y my,
Arab Proverbs
veir
hav
tion
Rat
A man's modesty covers a multitude of defects.
Solitude is infinitely better than bad companionship.
Inordinate pride is the forerunner of a man's destruction.
Seek safety in fleeing from thyself rather than from the
lion.
)
The wise are never poor.
The rule of a fool is short-lived.
Silence is the best answer to a fool.
�I
fl\m\\
JANUARY, 1928
39
M
Books and Authors
A EULOGY OF THE ARABS
"DESERT WINDS". By
New York. $3.50.
HAFSA
— 386 pp. The Century Co.,
Here is a book that is replete with information not only on
North Africa, but on the whole span of Arab history and civilization ; on Islam and its influence; on the breeding place of the Arab
race, the desert, where the free soul of the Arab still loves to
roam. Perhaps "Desert Winds" is more valuable in its erudite
exposition of Arabic history and culture than in its recording of
the personal observations of the author, although in the latter
field she has in several instances risen to high altitudes of descriptive ability in her treatment of her subject.
The whole book is a panegyric of everything Arab. It is a
symphony of praise with hardly a discordant note, no matter how
faint, to mar or even affect in the least the ensemble of the glowing theme. Islam, as the religion of the Arabs, is treated with
more than sympathy—it is accorded marked deference, and called
"an ideal faith". Every virtue ascribable to religion is stressed
in Islam, but on no single point, not even a minor one, does the
author seem capable of detecting a flaw fit for censure. Polygamy, slavery, and even agression are explained in the sympathetic
vein characteristic of the whole book. The chapter on Islam would
have us discard as a monstrous fallacy the generally accepted notion that the religion of Mohammad was propagated by the sword.
Rather, in the words of the author,
"Bloodshed was never an ideal of Islam: its strongest
appeal has ever been the satisfying completeness of its religion. The new races embraced in the temporal sway of the
Saracens' great domain, accepted its spiritual teachings because of their intrinsic worth."
\
ft
There can be no doubt that Islam must have meant a great
source of spiritual consolation to the heathens whose conception
of deity could not reach the spiritual levels of monotheistic
creeds. But Islam drew in no mean degree on Christianity and
Judaism. Perhaps Mohammad's ideal was one or the other of
�40
THE SYRIAN WORLD
these great religions which antedated Islam, but for racial and
geographic reasons he could not have the Arabs accept either of
them in its austere and original form. Hence his masterly stroke
of effecting the happy compromise, which, nevertheless, was not
accepted without an astute struggle. The Hijra, or Mohammad's migration, (flight) from Mecca, which, due to its importance, marks the beginning of the Muslim era, is an ever present reminder of the fact that behind the power of Islam was
something besides its intrinsic worth. If only proper cognizance
is taken of the meaning of the word "Islam" which, as the author correctly explains, means surrender, it may readily be conceded that the application may fit other conditions than "surrendering to the guidance of the Divine Will."
But for the character of the book which, far from being a
book of travel, is, in the main, distinctly scholarly, it would not
be necessary to take issue with the author on such matters. But
it is hard to escape the conviction that in attempting to prove
her case she was so far carried away by her enthusiasm that she
appeared to lack the attitude of impartiality. This immediately
prejudices the reader and creates in his mind a doubt as to the
validity of the argument even though the facts may, in the main,
be correct. There is nothing so close to perfection as to preclude
of some sort of criticism, Islam included. Therefore, to have
tempered the narration with some sort of disapproval, no matter
how slight, with Arab manners, Arab culture, or Arab religion,
would have gone far to gain for the author her point insofar as
it would have shown a more judicial state of mind.
Perhaps some excuse for the author's exultation over everything Arab lies in the fact "that she is an American citizen of
distinguished Arab and Spanish descent," as set forth in the
Foreword. This, indeed, would cause all those who, like herself, are of Arab descent, or imbued with Arab culture, to feel
proud of her efforts. For she has succeeded in creating a literary gem, a work of great value to students of Arab history
stamped throughout with signs of marked erudition. But only
because this pride in Arab achievement is commonly shared does
one regret that the cause should suffer by overindulgence in
praise.
The bibliography on which the author has drawn is imposing. She has also adopted the commendable method of explaining Arabic words occurring in her text, although in this she was
�\
\ JANUARY, 1928
41
not uniformly consistent. In but a few instances has her transliteration of Arabic words been incorrect. Her description of
"an Episode in the Kasba" is particularly sympathetic and charming, although the inquisitive reader may well want to learn in
what language the venerable Arab merchant delivered his eloquent discourse to his fair visitor.
"Desert Winds" is profusely illustrated. It should make
a valuable addition to libraries of information on the Arabs and
Islam. For a condensed book of reference it possesses distinct
value. Its chapters on native life in North Africa are replete
•with charm and afford refreshing reading.
S. A. M.
THE LAND OF THE PHARAOS
EGYPT. By GEORGE
352 pp. $5.00.
YOUNG ;
Charles Scribner's Sons, N. Y.
Every Arabic-speaking person is interested in Egypt. It
is the seat of the modern Arabic renaissance and its political fortunes are watched with the greatest interest by all the sixty-mil| lions speaking Arabic in both Asia and Africa. Its successful
f struggle for independence and the fact that it is now the most
* powerful and the most advanced country of the Arabic-speaking
'world tend to increase this interest.
To those who would read the history of Egypt written by
an Englishman in the most sympathetic spirit and defending the
cause of Egypt even against his own country this book by Mr.
Young should be particularly appealing. It is a volume in the
series of "The Modern World" under the editorship of the
Right Hon. H. A. L. Fisher and intended to furnish "an intelligent survey of the political, economic, and intellectual forces
which are today moulding the world", and Mr. Young has certainly succeeded in "presenting an understanding of Egypt not
as it was a hundred or even twenty years ago, but as it is today."
In dealing with foreign communities in Egypt, the author
has this interesting passage on the Syrians:
"The Syrian Christians are scarcely less powerful (Than
the Jews). European in their energy and efficiency, they are
wholly Egyptian in their sentiment and association. They have
"
�42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
even acquired a strong hold over the land and own great estates,
from which many have made large fortunes, like the Lutfallahs.
They have much of the retail trade in their hands, and the multiple shops of the Sednawi family compete successfully with those
of France. In industry the cotton-seed presses of the Abu Shenab family are notable. They are also prominent in the professions, especially in the Press—the Ahram, Mokattam, and other
newspapers having Syrian editors. With such a position, even
though they have of late lost their supremacy in the Civil Service, they can scarcely be considered in need of protection."
A FORTHCOMING BOOK BY RIHANI
Readers of THE SYRIAN WORLD who have been regaled by
the contributions of our eminent author Ameen Rihani, will be
interested to learn that a most interesting work by him entitled
"With the Wahabis in Najd" will soon be placed on the market
by Houghton Mifflin of Boston for the United States and by
Constable and Co. of London for the United Kingdom and Europe.
It gives us pleasure to make this advance announcement of
this book which records the personal experiences of the authoi
during his travels in the heart of Arabia where he enjoyed the
hospitality and protection of Sultan Ibn Saoud and was thereby
enabled to gather first-hand information which it would be difficult for other than a native of the Arabic language to reach. The
reader may well expect to see this book treated in Rihani's matchless style.
OTHER ARABIAN NIGHTS
After having advertised in the Arabic Press of New York
his intentions of publishing a collection of New Arabian Nights
independently, Habeeb Katibah, reporter and special writer on
some American papers, later announced that his book was taken
over for publication by the firm of Charles Scribner's Sons who,
are to issue it as a juvenile book, specially illustrated, and place|
it on the market by the coming Fall season.
\
�.JANUARY, 1928
43
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
THE EDITOR
opinion of Major Z.
Pechkoff is entitled to more
than passing consideration. In
the first place, there can be no
, doubt as to the honesty of his
conviction. Furthermore, his
keen faculty of observation, added to his long service in the
'French Foreign Legion, and
his serving in many diplomatic
missions of a high and responsible nature qualify him to
speak with authority on French
foreign policy. This wrould apply particularly to his statements on Syria because of his
intimate association with the
problems of the French mandate in that country, whither he
^V went in company with M. Henri Ponsot, the present High
Commissioner, upon the latter's
appointment in 1926. He is,
besides, an author, lecturer, and
close student of world affairs,
and to him fell the honor of
being the official emissary of
France to extend to the American Legion the invitation to
\ hold its convention in Paris.
[
Naturally, Major Pechkoff
would feel chagrined at the accusations hurled by a faction of
the Syrian press at the French
in Syria. He would not speak
of the "policies adopted, most
THE
of which were criticized," but
he would have the critics of
French administration in Syria
assume a fair attitude by alluding to the constructive work so
far accomplished in the country and which for the most part
goes unnoticed and unmentioned. We welcome his own views
on the situation and are glad
to give them publicity.
As for our policy in such matters, it is to maintain a neutral
attitude and present the two
sides of every question with utmost impartiality. We hold that
our first duty is the service of
truth. This would require the
recording of events as they are
reported and opinions as they
are expressed. Such is our conception of impartial, unbiased
public service in the journalistic field. To pursue a different course would, in our judgment, be grossly unethical and
calculated to be dangerously
misleading. Our readers have
a claim on us for the conscientious presentation of facts and
it is our obvious duty to give
them facts as they are, not as
we conceive, them or wish them
to be.
Viewed in this light, the opinion of the Syrian press is a pa-
�mm
44
tent fact in that it determines
the convictions of the editors on political issues affecting
their country. We in THE
SYRIAN WORLD, hold ourselves
responsible to take these facts
as presented and reproduce
them in the nature of news for
the information of those interested in following the reactions
of the Syrian press to vital issues regardless of whether
these reactions indicate a fair
or a distorted conception of the
truth. In this respect, the mission of THE SYRIAN WORLD is
purely educational and to deviate from this course would obviously transform it into a partisan organ.
THE SYRIAN WORLBi
their partisan views. These,
of course, are not seekers of
truth but promoters of special
interests, and to the designs of
such individuals we could not
lend ourselves.
It is gratifying, however, to
note that dissenters from both
sides are frank enough to acquaint us with their grievances.
This in itself is assurance of
their belief in our impartiality
and in our readiness to give
each side a fair hearing. It
would, therefore, seem unnecessary for us to again declare that
we welcome communications on
any public issue in the interest
of registering reactions, rectifying possible misstatements
and arriving at the truth. Our
purpose has been, and shall ever
be, to dedicate this publication
to the dissemination of information which will help establish the truth, to the end that
lasting peace, and constructive
co-operation, will be based on
genuine understanding.
This restatement of policy,
although drawn by the remarks
of Major Pechkoff, is by no
means intended as a reply to
him. In the midst of the rivalries and passions attending the
new order of things in Syria,
we anticipated objections to our
policy from many quarters and
we did not hesitate even from
our initial number to make
plain our stand. This we have
had occasion to reiterate at fre- OUR famous ancestors the
Phoenicians need not turn
quent intervals ever since. We
must admit, however, that Ma- in their graves over the reputed
jor Pechkoff has been far more find in Glozel which threatengenerous in his attitude and ed to shatter their reputation
considerate in his remarks than and undermine the whole strucmany others of our critics who ture of our knowledge concernwould exclude from publication ing the invention and propagaeverything not in harmony with tion of the alphabet. There was
,,'!
i I
(
z
�ANUARY, 1928
45
a time when some eminent richest and almost inexhaustible
scientists of Europe took these field. And, furthermore, there
inds seriously and showed no is hardly a suspicion that the
ittle elation over the fact that "finds" are ever "planted".
C was in Europe, after all, and
We have occasion to thank
not in the East, that man first
the
perpetrators of the Glozel
began to show progress in the
juts of civilization. The finds incident for furnishing this
•onsisted of bones, utensils and new, indirect proof of the great
'Jiicknacks which were suppos- achievements of the Phoenicians
ed to be 10,000 years old and and their invaluable bequest to
which bore, even at that remote the civilization of the world.
ige, signs of comprehensive alphabetical characters. The scientific world, as a result, was divided into two camps—pro- "PHE manner in which our best
talent has rallied to the supGlozelians and anti-Glozelians.
The controversy was finally port of THE SYRIAN WORLD
settled by a report of an inter- is cause for great satisfaction
national committee of scientists and gratification. As many of
stamping the claims of the
Glozelians as false and fraudu- them have expressed it, they
deem the publication a most
ent.
worthy.representative of Syrian
. Throughout the ages this has
culture, and their conviction is
^een the only instance where
a discovery was taken somewhat plainly attested by their generseriously by some eminent ous support.
scientist tending to dispute the
Ameen Rihani has been a
generally accepted facts of hismost liberal contributor. His artory on the subject of the alphabet. While if we turn to ticles are all original material
the East, we find that Egypt, never before published. Aside
Syria, Palestine and Mesopota- from his contribution appearing
i mia are yielding almost every in this issue, we are happy at
day, new and irrefutable proofs our ability to promise our readof what we possess of recorded ers another most interesting arhistory. The discoveries in the
. countries of the Near East can- ticle by him entitled "Gods
j not be classed as rare and iso- and Jinn and a Hall of Fame"
; lated instances. Rather, those which we shall publish in a
countries are the archaeologists' near issue.
Iff!
�46
THE SYRIAN WORLD j
Readers' Forum
THE WORK OF FRANCE
IN SYRIA
Major Pechkoff of the Foreign Legion Points out Constructive
Achievements of the Mandatory Power.
My dear Mr. MokarzeL
*** In the course of my conversations with you about things in general and Syria in particular, I gathered the impression that you are
just as keen as I am to serve the
things in the world that bring about
a better understanding between men
and nations.
However, in reading over very attentively your most interesting magazine, "The Syrian World," I have
sometimes felt very sad to see articles or information therein which
did not seem, somehow, to correspond entirely with the sentiments
you have expressed for France and
for what that country has always
stood for throughout the history of
the world. I do not think for a moment that you would wish to say in
your magazine anything that would
be unjust to France. It may be that
your sources of information do not
always give you the actual state of
affairs, in Lebanon and Syria. I wonder if those sources of information
are absolutely free from bias and
are impartial!
Of course, everyone has his own
point of view, and everyone is, perhaps, entitled to his own point of
view. To me what is more important is the intention of people rather
than what they do.. If their inten-
tions are sound and good, and they
work toward the Good, then no matter what mistakes they may make
at one time or another, their pure
intentions will always straighten
out in the end. I thoroughly believe
this, and my faith is based not only
on my great love and affection for
France, but it is also based on the
study and the close observation of
people and facts which I have made,
and upon the experiences I have had
in relation to the Syrian question.
You, being a Syrian — although
you have not lived in Syria since the
World War — can understand better than most people what a terribly
complex situation the Mandatory
Power had to deal with when it accepted the charge given it by the
League of Nations.
To me it is, perhaps, much more
painful than to many others to see
constantly in the Syrian press here
accusations brought forward against *
the Mandatory Power and its representatives. The world in general is
not perfect, and, in particular, among
those sent to Syria and the Lebanon
not everyone was perfect. They may
have misjudged, now and then, people and situations that they had to
meet in this faraway country. But
I can vouch for their good intentions.
And I do not think that any nation
in the world could have gone to Syria
after such a great world-upheaval—
particularly in the East—and have ,
done better than France has done.
And I repeat it again, notwithstanding all that people have thought and
said about the French activities in
Syria and the Lebanon.
I am not speaking about the poli-
I
�47
JANUARY, 1928
I
cies adopted. Mostly, the policies
were criticized. But no one 'has ever
spoken about the constructive work
done throughout the country in spite
of all the difficulties encountered—
difficulties arising from the struggle
between parties, creeds, castes and
clans among the Syrians and Lebanese themselves.
Personally, I have dozens and
dozens of friends who have given
tip all their time and their energy
and their money—who have given
up their lives—in the service of
Syria and the Lebanon, fulfilling
right to the end the mission that
their country had bestowed upon
them. I know and I could cite you
dozens of comrades who went to
the remotest districts of Syria and
the Lebanon, where their wonderful
activity, good humor and capability
helped to meet every situation and
to discern the complex psychology
\of the people with whom they came
in contact. By their work they have
transformed completely entire reThey have helped in the
— gions.
".tracing and building of roads. They
•uave helped to bring about better
methods of cultivating the land.
They have helped to increase the
production of the population, creating a general and common interest
in certain regions. By doing this,
they have eliminated local dissensions and rivalries and jealousies.
Many of my friends are so carried away with their work that, notwithstanding the claims that their
\ respective families make on them,
I they continue with their arduous
tasks. Some have not been back
to France for four, or five years. No
) one has ever heard about them. Of
course, I am not accusing people of
ungratefulness. But if people really knew about the activities of our
young men who went to this far-
away country with the purest hearts
and souls to serve their country and
humanity, they would speak differently about the Mandatory Power
and about France that has assumed,
I repeat again, such a heavy responsibility, such a noble burden,
given her by the League of Nations.
Z. Pechkoff.
New York.
IN DEFENSE OF COLUMBUS
Editor, The Syrian World:
It is rather surprising to read
from the pen of an intellectual Syrian, no less than the learned Rev.
Dr. Bishara, the slander heaped upon
Columbus. Surely no broad-minded
individual, be he a clerical or a layman, will deny Columbus the honor
due him. It seems to me that the
Rev. Bishara, in pointing out the
vulgar expression translated from
one of the Syrian papers, substituted for it a greater evil, if it be
permitted to call it so.
There is no record to show that
the parents of Columbus were Jewish. On the contrary Columbus descended from a line of noblemen as
may be evidenced from the position
his relative Colombo held. This
Colombo was an admiral in the Genoese navy and commanded a squadron that was at war with the pirates of Tunis. To him Columbus
was sent to make his first voyage.
Columbus had two brothers and
one sister who were all given a good
grammar school education. Columbus entered the University of Pavia
where he studied geometry, geography, astronomy and navigation.
He made many trips and at an
early age came to the conclusion
that the world was round, contrary
�m"
48
to religious beliefs. By his measure
ment of the sun's apparent speed
he formed a pretty accurate esti
mate of the size of the globe. Col
umbus, a self-taught philosopher
ascertained just how long it took
the sun to traverse the 2000 miles'
length of the Mediterranean Sea.
From that he inferred the distance
of space over which it would pass
in twenty-four hours. Such problems not only expanded his mind,
but disciplined his reasoning powers, and removed him from the baleful influence of visionary dreams
So we see that Columbus did not
steal any "unfortunate sailor's
charts".
"No particular description of
his personal appearance has descended to us. We simply know that he
was a tall man, of sedate and dignified demeanor, and with no convival
tastes. He was thoughtful, studious,
sensitive and of a deeply religious
nature," said Abbott.
Says the same author, "He was a
man of great simplicity of character
with the organ of veneration strongly developed. He was modest, sensitive, and magnanimous. He was
a natural gentleman, exceedingly
courteous in his bearing and without
a shade of vanity. Intellectually he
certainly stood in the highest rank,
being quite in advance of the philosophy of his times."
It was Columbus' intellect and
personality that drew the friar of
La Rabia convent to his aid. It was
Columbus' new philosophy that made
John of Portugal assemble the
greatest body of learned men Portugal possessed. It was Columbus'
convictions that made Ferdinand
forget the Moors and grant him two
audiences in the presence of Spain's
greatest... Thus we see that Colum-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
bus was not at all what the esteemed Reverend alludes to.
Jamile J. Kanfoush.
Syracuse, N. Y.
Editor, The Syrian World:
May I trespass on the "ethical
sanctuary of your magazine" with
a few unethical remarks regarding .
Dr. Bishara's rather reckless letter i
published in your last issue? The
good Doctor must have had for motive something more than the mere
call of duty to go out of his way .
to insult many of your readers who
believe that Columbus was at least
a Christian and an honorable character. Dr. Bishara's gratuitous
statements do not deserve any refutation beyond a mere denial.
In years gone by, I used to read
with a great deal of pleasure and
profit Dr. Bishara's contributions to
the Arabic press. These were the
good old days when he had not yet
lost that remarkable sense of humor,
that flair for congruity, for which
Lebanese are famous. But lately /
Dr. Bishara's outlook upon life seems
to be colored with a species of pessimism and an utter lack of humor
worthy of a dour Scot; such is the
power of environment!
I shall conclude with this remark:
where on earth did Dr. Bishara dig
up all this unpleasant and startling
information about the Discoverer of
America? And why did he not do
his bounden duty by acquainting the
powers that be at Washington with
Columbus' true character before he
was honored with a national holiday? Do enlightened nations honor
hypocrites, thieves and mere adventurers ?
Anthony Traboulsee.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
IJ
�49
JANUARY, 1928
ST. COLUMBUS AGAIN
The rejoinder of As-Sayeh
t
On the day following Columbus
Day we published an editorial entitled "St. Columbus" which The
Syrian World translated and published in its department of The
Spirit of the Syrian Press.
The Rev. Dr. K. A. Bishara read
>ur remarks and took exception to
*ur designating Columbus as a saint
while he is no prophet but merely
"a son of a Jew," and upraided us
for having counseled leaving Jesus,
•loses and Mohammad enthroned on
their pedestals in the Old World that
we may follow in the footsteps of
Columbus in the New World.
We would much prefer not to
have to write a word on this subject, because we feel that we and
the clergy are in the throes of a
dilemma to which we can find no
.solution. For their part, they are
>rone to consider all liberality in
;hought a trespass on religion, while
;o us it is surprising that we should
witness even in these days any discussion the nature of which would
* indicate that there still exists a
lass of men who cast on opinions
nd matters reactionary glances
iirom behind glasses tempered with
suspicion and doubt.
It would appear to us that the
Rev. Doctor took our remarks on the
subject too seriously, while it is obvious that the nature of the remarks
. permits of a lighter interpretation.
k The Divine would arm himself for
.combat against disrespect for religion and moral turpitude. We certainly admire his moral courage, but
.would suggest that he find fields for
/the exercise of his belligerent prosperities and the display of his
) burning zeal that would be wider
and less restricted than the limited
terrain we can afford him.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., Dec. 8, 1927.)
SYRIAN LECTURER
WELL RECEIVED
Editor, The Syrian World:
I had the good fortune the other
day of attending a lecture by Miss
Sumeyeh Attiyeh given at the High
School of this city and which was
well attended. I cannot resist the
temptation of writing to tell you
how proud I felt of this countrywoman when she spoke so entertainingly on Eastern subjects and elicited the praise and admiration of all
her hearers. It was one of those
moments when a Syrian feels proud
of the achievements of one of his
own, and realizing that your worthy
publication is ever ready to give
due recognition to talent and ability, I feel confident that you will
give space to this letter in the hope
that that will act as incentive to
other girls of our race to emulate
the good work of Miss Attiyeh.
Wadiah Rashid Khoury.
Herrin, 111.
MORE NEWS WANTED
Editor, The Syrian World:
It is useless for me to add anything to what you are always receiving about the real need that The
Syrian World is filling for the Syrians at large. I think Dr. C. Assid
Corban of New Zealand has done it
too well to stand repetition. May I
add one suggestion? Let us have
more news (not articles) about agricultural and economic developments
in Syria.
Najib J. Dumit.
University Farm, Davis, Cal.
�r
*
)
rs
THE SYRIAN WORLD
SO
I
Spirit of The Syrian Press
I
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcosmic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicspeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge anc
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opi
ttion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
AN ORIENTALIST IN SYRIA
The Syrian press reports the arrival in Beirut of M. Massillion, the
well-known orientalist, on a commission by the French Government to
study present social conditions in
Syria and Lebanon and establish
a comparison between them now and
what they were in the past, especially in the period immediately preceding the war.
M. Massillion is one of the outstanding savants of France. Not only is he an orientalist and a linguist
but a philosopher whose study is
like a temple of learning wherein
settles the spirit and the atmosphere
of science and erudition.
We have personally known the
scientist Massillion while in Paris.
His is not the generally accepted
Parisian life. Rather, his life is
more like that of a hermit amid the
gayty and splendor of the French
capital. He is the author of several
works of merit on the Arabs in general and the Muslims in particular.
His knowledge of Arabic is profound
and thorough.
We consider the sending by France
of a man of such standing as that
of Massillion to our country an indication of her genuine interest in
the Lebanese. These gifted French
men come to us with hearts anminds set on our disinterested service, and we should consider such instances in the nature of singular
opportunities which we Lebanese
should grasp with alacrity instead
of losing them by continual grumbling and dissatisfaction.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Dec. 20, 1927.).
THE SWORD AND THE SPEAR I
I
One of the most cruel ironies 01
the times is that reported to us by
the Syrian press lately to the effec
that the notorious outlaw, Ta'a
Dandash, entered the Serai, or Cil£
Hall, of Beirut, sporting his sword
in full view of the authorities who
are reported to have received him
with every manifestation of honor;
while on another occasion we are
told that Hamzeh Darwish, the rebel chieftain who made himself the,
outstanding figure of the revolution!
by his cruelty and who later surren-/
dered, performed such feats of
horsemanship and adroitness in;
spear-play that he elicited the high
praise of the French governor of
the Druze mountain.
\.
�!
TANUARY, 1928
It is about time we realize that
the might of the sword and the
lance have long since been on the
wane. In former ages these weapons were considered symbols of
valor used in the defense of right
and in resisting agression. Now
they are but futile toys that we retain for sentimental reasons and as
nementos of past glory. But their
rsefulness has been spent now that
hey have proven utterly ineffective
in the face of cannon and airplane.
They are only the ornaments of
fools. They may be effective only
n dealing with individuals but are
-tterly futile in resisting armies of
great powers.
The sword and the spear have
proven their impotency in the last
revolution, and it behooves us now
to replace them with other and
more effective weapons and discard
those of our leaders whose only qualification is that of physical prowess
^levoid of reasoning and administrative ability. We are of the opinion
hat French officials, in applauding
.-he feats of those who wield the
word and the spear, do so in the
I ainrr they applaud the comedians
\>f the stage.
Modern methods with which we
tould equip ourselves should in-pude education, co-operation and
-Preparedness. Otherwise we should
be content with our condition of
servility.
(As-Sayeh, N. Y., Dec. 22, 1927.)
MODERN HEROISM
\
{ Banners are flying
and bands
playing and soldiers passing in revew amid great shouts of joy and
apparent enthusiasm.
Where is the scene of these festiv-
51
ities and who are the performers?
The scene is Sueida, capital of the
Druze mountain, and the celebrants
are the French and the Druzes,
enemies of yesterday and friends of
today.
They play and dance and shout.
The French official smiles broadly
to the Druze and the latter overdoes
himself in performing feats of
horsemanship to prove to the French
his prowess and valor.
But the sufferers of the revolution, where are they and to what
extent do they labor under the heavy
load of their misfortunes?
They are rolling in misery while
their complaints whose echoes have
reached the skies go unheeded only
because might, not right, is alone
respected these days.
If Hamzeh Darwish and his like
were under British mandate they
would not dare perform as they did
in this instance after having committed such atrocities against a
defenseless and inoffensive population.
The English deal with the Palestinians with firmness and resoluteness, and at times turn to the complaints of the natives the deaf ear.
Still the Palestinians would countenance no change in the mandatory
power because the English understand the psychology of the people
of the East.
Will the Christians who have so
far borne their ill-treatment with
patience understand that their passiveness will avail them naught so
long as honor and respect are dealt
to those who show feats of valor in
the field, even though that be a field
of ruthlessness and crime, proving
that even now it is only might that
begets right.
(The Syrian Eagle, Dec. 21, 1927.)
�.
1}
52
DISCORD AMONG THE
NATIONALISTS
Discord has been rampant among
the Syrian Nationalists in Egypt.
The breach threatens to become
wider as time goes by.
War has now been declared between Emir Lutfallah and s'heik
Rashid Ridha, former political leaders of the Syrian nationalist movement, and both have now lost the
confidence of those loyal advocates
of the cause who have struggled for
the liberation of their country in
such manner as to register their
deeds on the pages of history in
letters of gold.
The last that we have heard of
their efforts is that they are endeavoring to discover ways and
means for the success of the revolution. But what revolution do they
mean? Is it their revolution against
each other, or is it that revolution
which the enemy has succeeded in
quelling by introducing friction and
dissension in the formerly united
ranks of the Nationalists, and caused them to be divided as the waters
of the Red Sea were divided by
Moses in times past, only to close
on his pursuers and engulf them.
Now the nation which has once
stood solidly behind the Executive
Committee of the revolution has lost
all confidence in it and in all of its
members. Syria, which had once
felt proud of these men, cannot now
but shun them because they have
brought shame on the country and
caused it to appear in a role of extreme weakness. The foreigners who
in the past prohibited the press of
the country from any mention of
the Executive Committee, are now
permitting full and free discussion
of the differences which are rending the Committee with the object
of showing the deplorable state of
THE SYRIAN WORLD]
!
\
Syrian leadership. We do not blame
the foreigners for adopting such a
policy because they discovered a
breach in the ranks of the Nationalists and hastened to avail themselves
of it, but we do blame those responsible for the breach for not
hastening to mend it in the face of
the enemy. We place the blame on
those who seek princely rank an<
leadership—those reactionaries wh>
were in the past placed at the hea
of the fighting ranks and betrayeu
their trust.
(Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N. Y.,
Dec. 20, 1927.)
SMOULDERING FIRES
OF THE REVOLUTION
The armed revolution, at the head
of which are Sultan Pasha Atrash
and Emir Adel Arslan, is but like
a smouldering fire.
L
Enemies of the revolution clain
that it has been put down and it
men scattered fleeing either to Pa)
estine and the desert or to Egyp
This they take as evidence that th<
revolution has abated and Fran,
achieved complete victory.
What gives color to the assertior
of the francophile press is that dif
sension has arisen among the lea. ,,
ers of the revolution who are now
divided into two camps, one headed
by Emir Michel Lutfallah and supported by a few adherents, and the
other headed by Sheik Rashid Ridha
to whose standards have rallied the
greater number of the active supporters of the revolution.
I
No, the revolution has not die<ft
and will not die. If the armed re|volution has abated we are confident
that this is but a temporary condition that will soon change. And
if the noise of powder has been
silenced it must be only for a limit-
SjANUA
ed time; i
come to I
be only ti
parations
difference:
the leadei
cloud tha
without c
not but i
lifference:
:ircumsta:
,he enem;
their prop
confidence
tie these
er as w
devotion 1
tion.
We are
the mone
in vain.
.the fire <
factions <
hey are c
-/ould desi
'"tivities. H
Syrians i
loney m
;he revoh
been awa
^evolutioi
t the he;
'mir (SI
o.aeps a
spent the
service oi
This Emi
cow whit
tion of t
would be
^ to China
ii !iis going
1 benefit tc
^onseque:
is directe
jjgenius ar
ith him
sver kep
:he mind
�11
JANUARY, 1928
tA
J
53
\
ed time; and if some warriors have but like the smouldering fire.
come to Palestine or Egypt it must
(Al-Bayan, N. Y., Dec. 23, 1927.)
be only to make the necessary preparations for further efforts. The
differences that have arisen between
FRANCE THE COMPASSIONATE
the leaders are but like a summer
cloud that will soon dissipate itself
O you who derisively call France
without causing any harm. We can- the compassionate mother, is not
not but regret, however, that such kindness and compassion better
lifferences should occur under the than perfidy?
:ircumstances, because they furnish
Surely, France is a compassionate
,he enemy with ready weapons for benefactor and has been so from
their propaganda, but we have every earliest history.
confidence that the leaders will setDid she not strike the Arabs untle these differences in such man- der Abdul Rahman, at Poitiers, and
ner as will prove their loyalty and save Europe from their peril through
devotion to the cause of the revolu- the leadership of Charles Martel?
tion.
Did she not crush the Turks and
We are loath to see the blood and turn back their hordes from Europe ?
Did she not help free this great
the money of thousands sacrificed
in vain. If those who are fanning country in which we are, the. United
.the fire of discord among the two States of North America?
Did she not have a helping hand
factions only knew to what extent
hey are driving the combatants they in liberating Greece and most of the
-/ould desist from their pernicious ac- Balkan states?
Did she not prevent the extermitivities. Have they not heard that the
Syrians abroad have given their nation of the Christians—Maronites,
loney most liberally in support of Orthodox, Greek Catholics and Ar;he revolutionary cause? Have they mcnfans, etc.—in the Turkish-Druze
been aware of the activities of the conspiracy in Lebanon and Syria in
Revolutionary Delegation in Europe 1860?
Why, then, do these detractors
t the head of which is the eminent
savagely
attack France in the man'mir (Shakib Arslan) who never
o.aeps a night but afetr having ner of those who have lost their
spent the day in the most unselfish reason? Is it not better to be comservice of the revolutionary cause? passionate and kind and helpful
This Emir is now the guest of Mos- rather than perfidious and deceitcow whither he went at the invita- ful?
Is i/t necessary that all those who
tion of the Soviet Government. He
would be found willing to go even raise their voice in defense of right
i to China if he were assured that should be accused of treason?
We believe and admit that in the
^ Ihis going thither would result in
i menefit to the revolutionary cause. execution of the French mandate in
Consequently, the revolution which Syria and Lebanon there are grounds
js directed by the brains of such a for criticism, but whatever mismanigenius and other leaders associated agement there is it is in our power
th him will not die, but will be to correct with the proper exercise
ver kept alive in the hearts and of tact and sincerity.
(Al-Hoda, N. Y., Dec. 1, 1927.)
he minds of its supporters. It is
�r~
THE SYRIAN WORLD
54
About Syria and Syrians
GLOZEL FIND A
PRACTICAL JOKE
Under date of Dec. 23, 1927, the
Associated Press carried the following report on the Glozel relics from
its Paris correspondent.
The famous Glozel collection of
"Stone Age" bones, utensils and
knicknacks unearthed three years
ago on a French farm in the Allier
Department has been found by an international committee of scientists
to be a practical' joke perpetrated in
the mid-Victorian era, rather than
the work of ancestral cavemen.
This judgment, coming cruelly at
Christmas time to hopeful archaeologists of the world, was rendered
today by a committee of scientists
from a half dozen countries who
have been scrutinizing the discovery meticulously for weeks.
It had been supposed that the
finding would show that prehistoric
Frenchmen 10,000 years ago used an
alphabet long before Phoenicians
generally are credited with inventing the original A B C's and knew
how to carve love letters on blocks
and sermons in stone.
But now, the disillusioned committee of scientists, who were appointed by the International Scientists' Congress at Amsterdam several months ago, have concluded that
the cravings were done with iron
implements of which there were
none in the Stone Age but of which
there were many in the post-Napoleonic period of the nineteenth century.
Modern Oven and Domestic Bones.
The report, however, concedes
that there might be some ancient
iHIIWMBi.
:
things mixed in the collection, but
rejects the authenticity of the ensemble because many of the discoveries were "non-ancient" articles,'
such as an oven and obviously new<
bones.
i<
The committee decided that theoven which was found was not a
day over 75 years old, that the
"tomb" over Which much enthusiastic comment had been made probably
hadn't even been manufactured whe.
Clemenceau was a boy and that the
teeth and bones had a modern color.
While some of the bones were fossilized, there were many more that,
were not.
Furthermore, certain objects in^
polished stone, including what came'-;,
to be known as the Glozel alphabet*
gave the appearance of 'having beer,
cut with chisels sharpened with
whetstones.
And among all the carvings o
animals there wasn't a single prehistoric monster such as is found in
museums. They were all cows, cats
old gray mares and other moderi
appurtenances to life on a Frenc
^
farm.
SOUTH AMERICA EXCLUDES
SYRIANS AND LEBANESE
The Syrian press features a communique from the French High/
Commissariat announcing that the.!
government of Brazil had given official notice to the French Government
of the action of the Brazilian Hous4
of Representatives excluding Syri-i
ans and Lebanese from admission U.
Brazil.
The communique contained the i
i
\
�JANUARY, 1928
further information that the government of Ecuador had taken similar action.
This would add two more to the
list of Latin American countries
which have passed Syrian exclusion
laws, the others being Mexico and
Panama.
In the case of Mexico a long
statement by the government explaining the exclusion act referred
to the fact that the Syrians were engaged mostly in commercial pursuits detrimental to the interests of
the small shopkeepers of the interior. They were engaged principally in peddling, it was claimed, and
were causing the country stores to
suffer from lack of patronage.
A LITTLE SHOP WITH A
BIG NAME
For many years past there was
established on Fifth Avenue, New
York, a little shop to deal in jewelry and precious stones. It found its
beginning through the enterprise of
a Syrian woman who through sheer
pluck, perseverance and vision transformed her dreams into realities.
4
i
Mrs. Marie El-Khouri, founder
and still the moving spirit in the
management of "The Little Shop of
T. Azeez," is now a national figure
in artistic jewelry creations in
America. Trade, Fashion and Specialty publications such as Vogue,
Women's Wear Daily, and the New
Yorker often feature accounts of
her creations as setting the style in
her line. It is given to few women
\ to achieve their ambition as has
Mrs. El Khouri, in an occupation
which both gratifies the artistic
taste and is amply remunerative
financially at the same time. This
n
55
is all the more reason why this
countrywoman of ours who labored
under the same handicaps as the rest
of us when she first came to this
country and forcefully overcame
them should be congratulated on her
success,
SYRIANS OF NEW YORK
ORGANIZE GOLF CLUB
A group of progressive Syrians
met at the Hotel McAlpin early last
month and decided on a distinctly
novel, almost radical, venture in the
social life of the community. They
have formed a Golf Club and launched it with a membership of over
thirty. The members are all golf
enthusiasts, and to judge by the remarks made at the organization dinner one would hardly recognize in
the speakers those Syrians reputed
to be devotees of only the commercial arts.
A few Syrian golfers had during
the past Summer agreed on tentative plans for organizing the Club
and appointed for the purpose a committee of which Mr. Alexander Hamrah was named chairman. The realization came at the McAlpin dinner
when Mr. George Ferris, dean of.
Syrian attorneys in New York,
and member of several prominent
golf clubs, read the Constitution and
By-Laws, which were approved. Tha
organization was called the Syramar
Golf Club, a name coined from the
term Syrian American with a slight
change for euphony. Balloting for
officers and Board of Governors resulted in the election of Messrs.
Eugene Trabilcy, Pres.; Nat. Mallouf, Vice Pres.; Paul Trabulsi.
Treas., and George Tadross, Secretary. The Board of Governors is
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
56
composed of nine members, three of SYRIAN CO-AUTHOR IN
SCIENTIFIC WORK i
whom are elected for the term of
one year, three for the term of two
years, and three for the term of
three years. Officers are elected Fahim Kouchakji, Possessor of the
I
Chalice of Antioch, Helps Identify
from the Board. Members of the
I
a Famous Copy of the Holy Grail.
Board in the first election include,
besides the officers already mentioned, Messrs. Alexander Hamrah,
The New York Times of Nov. 15
Richard Macksoud, Ferris Saydah,
published
an extensive account of
George Ferris and Nesib Trabulsi.
Active members who were present the researches conducted by the a
at the organization meeting are: eminent archaeologist, Dr. Gustavus
Assad Abood, Aleer Couri, Basil A. Eisen, the results of which will
Couri, Michel Daoud, Sulaiman Da- soon be published in a two-volume .
oud, James Dowaliby, Fred Fans, work under the general title of ?
Joseph Gassoun, Henry Haddad, "Glass". In this, says the paper, Dr.
Elias Hamrah, Suhail Hermos, Rich- Eisen is assisted by Mr. Fahim Kouard Malhame, Shafic Mamary, S. chakji, the well-known collector who
Muneyer, Aziz Saddy, Victor Sam- is himself an authority on antiques
ra, Alfred Saydah, Cecil Saydah, and is the possessor of the celebrat.
James Saydah, George Shamyer, ed Chalice of Antioch.
According
td
this
account,
a
glass
Abdallah Sleyman, John Trabulsi,
cup made in the Middle Ages and i
Kalil Trabulsi.
now
in a private collection in Spain
For some unaccountable reason,
has been identified by Dr. Eisen and »
the club honored the editor of "The
his collaborator as a copy of the cup j
Syrian World" by electing him its
first honorary member, although it which was worshipped as the Holy
is claimed that it is dangerous to Grail in the monastery of Montserrat, Spain, in the colorful rites which
take up golf when a man nears the
fifty-year mark.. Another honorary formed the foundation for Wagner's
member is Mr. George Atiyeh of opera, "Parsifal". It is known as
'the beaker of Montserrat" and was
Portland, Ore.
made, Dr. Eisen believes, in the
Members of the Syramar Golf
thirteenth century.
Club are to be congratulated on
From its form and from other
their encouragement of healthful
evidences Dr. Eisen deduces that it
sports and it is expected that some is a representation of the cup in
real talent in this "ancient and hon- which Joseph of Arimathea, in
orable" game will be exhibited in whose tomb Christ's body was laid
the coming tournament of the Club after the Crucifixion, caught Christ's
which is scheduled for the coming blood as it dripped from the cross.
Spring.
What may be of special interest
in the Constitution of the Syramar
Golf Club is that women are eligible
to membership. So, after all, when
Syrians begin to advance they do so
in broad jumps.
I
Dr. Ei6en pointed out the word
Grail is a relatively loose term applied to several objects connected
with tihe life of Christ, among them
the cup of the Last Supper, the cup
which received Christ's blood and
the plate of the Paschal Lamb. Many
�f V JANUARY, 1928
objects have been and still are cherished in various parts of the world
as being one or another of these
sacred articles.
The meaning of the cup is traced
through the resemblance to the amulets, imitating or typifying objects
connected with the life and death of
Christ, which flooded the Christian
world in the fourth century after
Constantine embraced Christianity.
The ardhseologist's detailed discussion of these amulets dovetails
with an extensive work he published
three years ago on the Chalice of
Antioch, a silver cup found in the
ruins of a church at Antioch in Syria, and now in the possession of Mr.
Kouchakji. This cup was surrounded with an elaborate outer cup of
silver, sculptured with figures portraying Christ and His chief followers and was believed by Dr. Eisen to have been decorated in the
first century, A. D. Concerning this
chalice, Dr. Eisen declares that it
had been revered as a sacred Christian relic soon after the death of
Christ, and the implication was that
it was the cup of the Last Supper,
though this conclusion was not asserted by Dr. Eisen.
57
occasions. The exposition is meant
to give a graphic picture of the
culture and industries of the Orient.
Although it is too early at the
time of the present writing to state
the degree of success of the exposition, it may be noted that only one
tabloid paper of the metropolitan
dailies gives any appreciable amount
of publicity to the exposition, while
the Arabic papers of the city are
manifestly apathetic. Of the five
Arabic dailies only one, Al-Hoda,
has made any mention at all of the
exposition, and that in a tone of disapproval. It claims that the promoter of this enterprise is misrepresenting the true culture of the East
and catering to vulgar appeals.
Women of the East, for instance,
according to Al-Hoda, are not in
the habit of appearing naked to the
waistline, neither do they wear the
tarboush, which is the customary
headgear for men.
As-Sayeh, a semi-weekly Arabic
paper, is more complimentary in its
remarks and liberal in the space it
devotes to the description of activities in the Oriental exposition.
DR. BAROUDI, AUTHOR
ORIENTAL EXPOSITION AT
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
Through the enterprise of a Syrian, Mr. Ralph Saliba, an Oriental
exposition was opened at Madison
Square Garden in New York beginning with the second week of December and scheduled to run until the
end of the first week of January.
Governor Smith of New York State
and Mayor Walker of New York
City, as well as many Ambassadors
and Ministers of Eastern countries,
visited the exposition on different
AND LECTURER, DIES
The Rev. Dr. Anis Baroudi, for
many years minister of the Syrian
Protestant Church of Brooklyn, died
on Dec. 5 as a result of an operation for appendicitis.
Dr. Baroudi was a native of Ain
Rummanah, Mt. Lebanon, and received his elementary education in American and English mission schools in
Lebanon and his M. A. degree at the
American University of Beirut. He
was admitted to the ministry at the
McCormick Seminary in Chicago in
1907. He is the author of several
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
books both in Arabic and English,
his principal work in English being
"The Syrian Shepherd". He is,
however, better known as a lecturer
and public speaker and had confined
his activities to New York City and
vicinity. He was asked by Dr. Cadman on a number of occasions to
speak from the pulpit of his church
in Brooklyn.
The death of Dr. Baroudi is a loss
to the Syrian intelligensia in New
York. He is survived by a wife and
two young children.
SYRIAN BOY SCOUTS
STEADY WINNERS
"Troop No. 12 of America, of Olean,
N. Y., under the leadership of their
new scoutmaster Elias Ead," says
the local paper of Olean, "emerged
victorious from the contests of the
Scout rally held in the High School
gymnasium on the night of Dec.
17." This is the second successive
year that this troop wins its laurels
and it is gratifying to learn that
this troop is wholly composed of
American boys of Syrian parentage.
First class Scouts, adds the paper,
who were awarded merit badges by
the court, comprise the following
from Troop No. 12:
John Kneiser, for firemanship and
life saving. Samuel Mansour, firemanship and craftwork in leather.
Francis Harris, civics and first aid.
Joseph Bischalany, swimming and
signalling. John Gabriel, life saving and bird study.
SYRIAN BOY WINS
PRIZE IN CONTEST
"A Constant Reader" of The Syrian World sends us a clipping of
'• . serai.-:
' .'"
Ji maun u
the Peoria (111.) Star reporting that
a Syrian boy of eighteen, John Riya,
had won first prize in a contest conducted by a local theatre in conjunction with the showing of John Barrymore's latest attraction, Don Juan.
The prize winning contest follows:
"John Barrymore for want of a
better term is the 'World's Greatest
Lover'. He is one of the handsomest actors on the screen today. He
combines with this a marked masculinity. He has stolen the hearts of
all that have seen him in 'Beau
Brummel,' 'The Sea Beast,' and now
greatest of all, 'Don Juan.' For here
is the ultimate thrill which the public craves. Love that dares all. Love
that consumes all, and love that
leaps like liquid fire through the
veins of popular fancy. Hence, John
Barrymore is "The lover of all
ages.' "
SYRIAN ORGANIZATION
HAS HIGH IDEALS
"Flower of the East" is the name
of a new Syrian society organized
in Wilkes Barre, Pa., whose purpose
is to work for unity and understanding; uplift the Syrian name; encourage higher education and prompt
the Syrian youth to the desire of
emulating the achievements of their
forefathers.
The officers are: John Gazy, President; Anthony Hashem, Vice President; Philip Cosa; Treasurer; Chas.
Audi, Recording Secretary, and
Nicholas Saba, Corresponding Secretary.
f
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rr
if
RECONSTRUCTION IN
t t I
THE DRUZE MOUNTAIN
A prominent traveler recently returned from Jebel Druze, which had
been in revolt against French au-
fc-
�JANUARY, 1928
i
thority in Syria, is reported to have
confirmed previous information to
the effect that the country is now
completely pacified and is well advanced in the work of reconstruction.
Two main highways, he said, now
link Soueida, the capital, with Azru
and Bassora. Work is also proceeding on constructing a network of
roads radiating from Soueida to
every section of the Druze mountain.
Thirteen new private elementary
schools have been opened in addition to the public schools maintained
by the government.
THE SYRIAN PRISONERS
OF SINGAPORE
"
\\
rfc -
t |
Vid
511
Notwithstanding the official denial
of the British High Commissioner
of Palestine of the truth of the reports circulated in the Syrian press
touching on the plight of thousands
of Syrian war prisoners still held
in Singapore, all kinds of rumors
are still circulated about these supposed unfortunates.
Now the Syrian press seems to be
digging up information to substantiate reports published earlier concerning this question. Personal accounts by supposedly returned prisoners are given with a wealth of
detail. In most cases, the authors
of the accounts seem to be men who
are pleading for funds to continue
their journey to their home destination.
One of the latest accounts published is purported to be that of an
escaped war prisoner from Iraq who
claims that he was taken as a servant in the household of a British
officer in India who was later transferred to the Sudan and took the
Iraquite with him. Once there, the
59
prisoner came in touch with some
Arabs who advised him to report his
case to his employer's superiors, in
consequence of which action he was
set at liberty. It was months of extreme hardship, he declared, before
he reached Palestine and was there
waiting for an opportunity to continue his way home.
This prisoner places the number
of Arab war prisoners still held in
India at about forty-five thousand,
twenty-two thousand of whom are
Iraquites, eight thousand Syrians
and thirteen thousand Palestinians.
Among the prisoners, he said, were
a few Turks.
All prisoners, he added were kept
under strict guard and put to work
on railroad construction with the
most meager of fare.
THE RETURN OF
THE RASHAYYANS
Rashayya is the town in Greater
Lebanon which was hit hardest by
the last revolution in Syr'a and was
almost completely destroyed.
The Christian population of Rashayya, as our readers will recall,
appealed their case to Paris direct
and to the Pope and the League of
Nations. Their principal demands
were that they be granted complete
reparations and that the Druze
inhabitants of the town, whom they
accuse of being the chief perpetrators of looting, murder and destruction, be made to settle elsewhere.
The agitation centering around the
case of Rashayya caused no little
concern to the mandatory authorities and to the Lebanese Government.
In one of its recent issues, however, Zahle Al Fatat a Lebanese
paper which had identified itself
�r*
60
conspicuously witih the case of Rashayya, announces that a delegation
of fifty notables representing the
refugees of Rashayya had waited
upon the French commissioner in
charge of reparations and assured
him of their gratefulness for the
efforts taken in their behalf and of
the readiness of the majority of the
refugees to return to their homes
as soon as the work of reconstruction permits.
It had been previously announced
by the authorities that the Druze
clan of Al Aryan, who are accused
of the principal acts of cruelty
against their Christian neighbors,
had been ordered to evacuate Rashayya in the interest of peace.
A GREAT IRRIGATION
PROJECT IN SYRIA
A great irrigation project which
would divert the course of the
Orontes (Al-Asi) and reclaim the
vast fertils plains
surrounding
Homs and Hama is announced to be
under consideration by the Mandatory Power in Syria.
According to tentative plans, it is
the purpose to construct a great
dam running from East to West in
the Cattina Lake, south of Homs,
so as to permit of irrigating the
plains. As conditions now stand,
only a restricted area in the immediate neighborhood of Homs and
Hama receive any benefit from the
great volume water running in its
present course. And even this is
done under difficulties inasmuch as
water has to be raised by means of
water wheels.
With the operation of tihe new
irrigation scheme not only the great
plain would be irrigated but it could
be made to yield several crops in-
THE SYRIAN WORLD
stead of the single crop now produced through the limitation of
dependence on rainfall.
In describing the area to be benefited by the new irrigation project*
Lisan Ul Hal says that it is a plain
which is traversed by railroad from
North to South over a distance of
360 kilometers. It could be made
the granary of Syria and is bound
to be a potent factor in deciding
Syrians against emigration.
EX-PRESIDENT OF FRANCE
MILLERAND IN SYRIA
Although coming on a purely private mission, ex-President Millerand
of France was accorded upon his arrival in Beirut on December 6 a
semi-official reception by both the
mandatory authorities and the Lebanese Government. His mission was
ended almost before his arrival, but
the distinguished Frenchman remains for the present in Syria enjoying the hospitality of the people
and the beneficial climate of the
country.
M. Millerand was retained by Najib Bey Sursuq as counsel in the
long pending suit with his brother
Albert Sursuq over the liquidation
of their joint interest in the estate
of their father comprising enormous
realty holdings both in Syria and
Egypt. The Sursuq family is reputed to be the wealthiest in Syria
and one of the wealthiest in the East.
The influence of the older Sursuq
was such that at one time, according
to traditionr he caused the dismissal
of a Turkish wali (governor) appointed to the vilayet of Beirut before he could even unpack his
trunks. The differences between the
two brothers were, therefore, a cause
for concern for all Syria. And when
n
.
�JANUARY, 1928
/
I
V
\
\
3
1
rr
c
one of the brothers gave notice of
his intention to carry the fight to
the bitter end by appointing M. Millerand his attorney, men of influence and prominence in all walks of
life proffered their good offices for
intervention so that no sooner M.
Millerand set foot in Beirut than he
was confronted with the announcement by Mr. Petro Trad, counsel for
Albert Sursuq, that he had effected
a reconciliation.
M. Millerand is now engaged in
drawing with Mr. Trad the details
of the agreement. The ex-President
of France, who is one of the foremost legal minds of the country,
was guaranteed for his services by
Najib Bey Sursuq a fee of one million francs which he will now receive with hardly any effort.
EMIR ABDULLAH
TO BECOME KING
The signing of the new treaty between England and Transjordania,
similar in many respects to that
existing between England and Iraq,
will be attended by great ceremony
in celebration of the newly acquired
independence of the country, according to reports in Arabic papers.
It is further stated that Emir
Abdullah will assume immediately
thereafter the title of king and
journey to England to thank King
61
George in person for England's recognition of the independence of his
country.
Once Emir Abdullah becomes king
two sons of former King Hussein of
Hejaz would have reached regal
rank. Had King Hussein not been
deposed by Ibn Saoud, this branch
of the Hashimite family would have
controlled most of the thrones of
the Arabic-speaking peoples in Asia.
SYRIAN EMIGRANTS RETURNED
Official figures published by the
Bureau of Statistics indicate, according to Lisan Ul Hal, of Beirut,
that returned Syrian and Lebanese
emigrants in the period falling between March and September, 1927,
are double the number of those who
have returned in the same period in
1926 and triple those of 1925.
The paper further states hopefully that conceding the prevalence of
peace and order in the country in
the future, Syrians and Lebanese
who are expected to return to their
native land during the coming year
will be much more in proportion.
This would not indicate that the
tide of emigration from Syria and
Lebanon has receded. The figures,
as may be readily seen, cover the
movement of those who are returning to their homeland but take no
account of those who are leaving.
Political Developments in Syria
\
In a leading article in its issue of
December 17, the semi official French
paper Le Temps comments on a discussion in the Committee of Foreign
affairs of the Senate following a re-
port by one of its members, M. Henri Lemery, on the results of his observations of conditions in Syria and
Lebanon during his recent visit to
these countries. The paper states
�62
frankly that there still exists a Syrian Question although the French
have been in occupation of the mandated territories for over eight years.
It also voices the complaint of the
Syrians and Lebanese loyal to
France, a complaint shared by a
large number of French observers,
that the chaotic condition prevailing
in Syria is due to France's inaction.
It is true that many constructive
projects have been achieved, but
French policy, it is claimed, is still
wanting in the principal field of
granting the mandated country a
stable form of government which
would bring peace and order and accelerate the progress of constructive
efforts.
The policy of the government was
not spared by its critics who hinted
that the armed revolution, although
suppressed on the surface, is far
from being extinct. Both Senator
Lemery and M. Henri de Jouvenel,
former High Commissioner in Syria,
are of the opinion that the situation
is grave in Damascus as well as in
Beirut and that it is in danger of
developing into something more
serious by early Spring.
In the same account we are told
by the French paper that General
Weygand, another of the former
High Commissioners in Syria, has
published an article in the Revue de
France setting forth with eloquence
the reasons that should compel
France to maintain its mandate over
Syria and Lebanon. This obviously
is in reply to those who would countenance ceding these countries to
Italy in return for territorial grants
in North Africa. Gen. Weygand first
enumerates the material advantages
for France in the retention of its
mandate over Syria: Fertility of
soil, importance of maritime ports,
splendor of natural scenery which
^ ^•BBBHfiBHBSESKBHWfiWKflWHET
THE SYRIAN WORLD
could be exploited for summer resort industries and finally he mentions the prestige of France in carrying out her promises and obligations to a nation which placed all
its trust and confidence in her. Both
Gen. Weygand and M. de Jouvenel,
says Le Temps, hold that possession
of Syria, being the port of access to
Asia Minor, can assure for a power
such as France the uncontested mastery over this section of the world
in both the commercial and the economic fields.
What they would have their compatriots understand fully, however,
is that the Syrians and Lebanese,
particularly the latter, awaited with
as much anxiety as the Alsacians
and Lorranians the arrival of the
French to liberate them. For these
people, France had been for centuries the outstanding model of nobility of character and it would be betrayal of trust and hopes to disappoint them.
Many of these statements, of
course, are mere platitudes that
have been mentioned over and again
many a time. But the important
thing brought out by these discussions is the fact that there still exists danger of the recurrence of
armed conflict in Syria by next
Spring. Papers supporting the revolution make strong declarations of
this possibility, and they are publishing frantic appeals to the Syrians of America to lend the necessary financial support by being more
liberal with their contributions. Papers of the opposition, however, are
equally emphatic in their denial of
any such possibility, pointing out
the fact that the main revolutionary
committee has been divided upon itself and that the faction favoring the
continuance of the struggle has lost
the support of the Lutfallahs who
lQ
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had been
of the
Lutfallal
mentione
derstand
basis of
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JANUARY, 1928
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63
had been the main financial backers posals at such an early stage. Dr.
of the insurgents. Emir Michel Shahbandar is further accused of
Lutfallah, as has been repeatedly having fled the scene of hostilities
mentioned, is now in favor of an un- because "he was neither a physician,
derstanding with the French on the nor a general, nor a diplomat". These
basis of maintaining the present po- accusations are directed at Dr. Shahlitical divisions of Syria, for which bandar now for having taken a stand
attitude he is accused of seeking to with Emir Lutfallah in the controwin the favor of the French in the versy over the proposed Syrian polihope of being made king over Leb- cy with France. It is stated in some
quarters that for Dr. Shahbandar,
anon.
The rumors circulated about the a Mohammedan, to have sided with
personal ambitions of Emir Lutfal- Lutfallah, a Christian, was more
lah accuse him even of attempting than his colleagues on the committo bribe certain native historians to tee could tolerate or approve. Dr.
trace his family history to the old Shahbandar was last reported to
Arab royal family of Ghassan. It have passed his examinations for
was further published in some Syr- the active practice of medicine in
ian papers that M. Drouen, chief of Egypt and had forsaken meddling in
the Political Bureau in M. Ponsot's politics.
cabinet, had issued a categorical deAnother development in the connial that the French Government troversy centering on the dissension
fosters in any manner the ambitions in the Central Committee is that Ihof the Lutfallahs. He has been too san Bey Jabiry and Emir Shekib
active, it is claimed, in aiding and Arslan, delegated to represent it in
abetting the revolution, causing Europe, had elected to act indepenthereby untold losses in life and dently of the advice of the central
property to be tolerated in the role body in Cairo. This is supposed to
he aspires to play.
have followed on the decision to opThe split among the members of pose the policies of Emir Lutfallah,
the central committee of the Syrian chairman of the Committee. Emir
revolutionary party whose head- Arslan was last reported to have
quarters are in Egypt has brought gone to Moscow on invitation of the
about many an unpleasant revela- Soviet Government to attend the
tion on the management of the re- celebration of its tenth anniversary.
volution and the smouldering ani- He is said to have profited by this
visit to enlist the help of the Soviets
mosities and personal ambitions
that have been behind it. One of for the Syrian revolutionary cause.
these revelations, made in the Syr- While his colleague, Jabiry, when
informed that he had been refused
ian Nationalist press, is that Dr.
permission to reeriter France after
Shahbandar, the one-time admitted
political director of the revolution, his return to Egypt, published a
sarcastic statement to the effect that
was nothing but a coward and a hypocrite. He is accused of having en- he had been in France heretofore
only on the invitation of her govtered into negotiations with the
ernment
whom he accused of dupliFrench during the first two weeks
of the conflict in an effort to win city in dealing with the representatheir favor, but that the French tives of the revolutionary commitwould not listen to any peace pro- tee.
�*
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
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New York Public Library
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
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1926-1935
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<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
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English
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Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
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NS 0002
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TSW1928_01reducedWM
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The Syrian World Volume 02, Issue 07
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1928 January
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Volume 2 Issue 07 of The Syrian World published January 1928. The issue opens with a piece by Ameen Rihani titled "Dreams," which discusses dreams of the past versus the present. The next work is a short story by Kahlil Gibran titled "War." Following that is another work by George Knaysi that discusses the needs of agriculture in Syria, and a continuation of Rev. W. A. Mansur's "Problems of Syrian Youth in America." Paul Deab's article following a story from Arabian Nights discusses the matrimonial problems of the younger generation. The famous city featured in this issue is Tripoli. Before another excerpt from Harry Chapman Ford's play there is an article that discusses the hydroelectric development of Palestine by James F. Hodgson. The issue concludes with the Reader's Forum and excerpts from the Arab press about Syria.
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Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
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English
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Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
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New York Public Library
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Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
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104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
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Text/pdf
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Text
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The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Harry Chapman Ford
Kahlil Gibran, Ameen Rihani
New York
Palestine
Reverend W.A. Mansur
Syria
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https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/16ac9f3781be5d67adff6a189bdc79b4.pdf
7c427ac98cdfc6c07bc8c43d1228e74c
PDF Text
Text
�—
i—m
THE
SYRIAN WORLD
SALLOUM
A. MOKARZEL, Editor.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SYRIAN-AMERICAN PRESS
104 GREENWICH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y.
By subscription $5.00 a year.
Single copies 50c
Entered as second-class matter, June 25, 1926, at the post office at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
JUNE, 1927.
VOL. 1. No. 12.
Contents
PAOB
The Geology of Syria and Lebanon
By PROF. ALFRED ELY DAY
3
Contentment
7
Where East and West Meet
By AMEEN RIHANI
8
Counsel
tl
The Great Lyric of Al-Farid
By DR. N. A. KATIBAH
12
Criticism> and Advice
Benefits of Syrian Emigration to Syria's Future
By REV. W. A. MANSUR
17
18
The Wisdom of Mu(awiyah
26
"
�CONTENTS (Contmm^d).
PAOB
The Reward of Magnanimity (An Arabian Nights' Story).... 27
The Chosen Three
31
By SUMAYEH ATTIYEH
Syrian Proverbs
Famous Cities of Syria — Beirut
31
32
From the "Kalila wa Dimna"
38
Spring (a poem)
39
By BENJ. T. HOFFIZ
Syrian Schools in Brazil
40 \
The Road to Bliss
41
Notes and Comments — By THE EDITOR
Casting Shadows Ahead
Syrian Philanthropy
The Syrians in Politics
42
44
46
Spirit of the Syrian Press
47
About Syria and Syrians
51
Readers' Forum
56
Political Developments in Syria
57
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE
A General View of Beirut
The Placid Bay of Beirut
Relics of Old Beirut
Views of New Beirut
The Famous Pine Grove of Beirut
A Picturesque View of the Court of a Mosque in Syria
Alice Brady as the Syrian Heroine in "Anna Ascends"
A Scene from "Anna Ascends*'
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SYRIAN WORLD
VOL. 1. No. 12.
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The Geology of Syria
and Palestine
By ALFRED ELY DAY
Professor of Natural Sciences, American University of Beirut.
The mountain ranges which run parallel to the coast of
Palestine and Syria from Hebron to Alexandretta are in the
main Cretaceous. During the Cretaceous period, the Mediterranean was vastly larger than at1 present, and spread over much
of southern Europe, northern Africa, Syria, Palestine, 'Irak,
parts of Asia Minor and Arabia, and other regions farther to
the east. Throughout the Cretaceous period, the bottom of this
sea was being filled up with sediments from ancient rivers, some
of which exist today. The Nile came from the heart of Africa,
but it did not extend nearly as far north as a* present. It poured
out from among granite hills into a great ;arm of the sea which
had its southern shore not far from Aswan. The Euphrates
came down from the northeast as at present, but, instead of turning southeast, as it now does near Aleppo, its sediment laden
waters reached the sea north of where Urfa now stands.
After the end of the Cretaceous period, in the early part
of the Tertiary period, the crust of the earth gradually rose in
a great ridge which finally culminated in the series of mountain
ranges which we now call the Highlands of Judea, Carrriel,
Jabal Rihan, Lebanon, Jabal-un-Nusayriyyah, and the Amanus
or Kurd-Dagh.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
East of these mountains was formed a great depression
which in part'is lower than the ocean. It includes, from south
to north, the Gulf of 'Akabah, Wadi-ul-'Arabah, the Dead Sea,
the River Jordan, the Sea of Tiberias, the upper Jordan and the
lake of al-Hulah, the upper valley of the Leontes or Litani,
the plain of al Bika', and the valley of the <Asi or Orontes.
East of this long valley or series of valleys lie the AntiLebanon or al-Jabal-ush-Sharki and Mount Hermon or Jabalush-Shaykh. South of Hermon there are no distinct mountains
but the land rises sharply from the Jordan, the Dead Sea and
Wadi-ul-'Arabah and then slopes off gently to the eastward forming the great plain which we call the Syrian Desert or Barriyyatush-Sham.
Not all of this land rose above the sea at once. Parts of
it did not emerge until the Tertiary period was well advanced,
and therefore bear Tertiary rocks formed from the sediments
which were deposited upon it while it was the bottom of the
Tertiary sea.
The rocks of the different periods are distinguished by the
fossils which they contain. These fossils are the remains of the
animals and plants which were then living.
While most of the surface rock of Syria and Palestine is
Cretaceous, and while some is younger, i. e.t Tertiary, as just
stated, there are in some places older rocks. In the deep valleys
of Lebanon and on some of the heights, the rock is Jurassic.
Jurassic rocks are also found in northwestern Sinai. In northern Syria, Paleozoic rocks are found in the Amanus mountains
near Alexandretta. In the south, they are found at the south
end of the Dead Sea and in the Peninsula of Sinai. Still older
rocks are found north of the Paleozoic rocks in northern Syria
and south of the Paleozoic rocks in Sinai. These older rocks are
crystalline rocks, such as granite, and are frequently intersected
with by dykes of porphyry.
It is impossible to make a precise statement of the age of
any of these ancient rocks. The Paleozoic rocks are certainly
many millions of years old. Much older are the Pre-Paleozoic
crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous rocks, which make up most of
Syria and Palestine, are several millions of years old. That is,
it was certainly several millions of years ago that the sea extended over what is now Syria and Palestine, while on the bottom of
this sea were deposited the sediments which hardened into the
rocks of which our mountains are made.
�JUNE, 1927
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In most parts of Syria and Palestine, the Cretaceous rocks
are the only rocks visible, but in the deep valleys of Lebanon,
and in some other situations, the Cretaceous rocks are found resting upon Jurassic rocks. If we could penetrate below the Cretaceous rocks elsewhere, we might come to Jurassic rocks which
have never been exposed, and, under the Jurassic rocks, we might
find Paleozoic and Pre-Paleozoic rocks.
Let us try to construct a geological history of Syria and
Palestine from the earliest times, many millions of years ago,
to the present day. Some parts of this history must be purely
guess work, but in the main it is in accord with observed facts.
In Pre-Paleozoic times we may suppose that most of the
area was land. In the Paleozoic, some parts of it sank below the
sea level. In the Jurassic period, larger areas sank below ocean
level, and most of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon and a part of the
Peninsula of Sinai were certainly sea. It seems likely that Palestine was also part of the Jurassic sea, but of that we cannot be
certain, because none of the valleys in Palestine have cut deep
enough to expose the base of the Cretaceous. In the Cretaceous
period there was further sinking, and the sea spread over more
territory than it had before, or has since. The wide extent of
Cretaceous rock in Syria, Palestine, parts of 'Irak, Arabia, Sinai
and Egypt is positive proof of a wide Cretaceous sea covering
all the lands where we find this rock.
Most of this area rose above the sea to form mountains and
plains in the early Tertiary. Those regions where we find Tertiary rocks remained below until the Tertiary period was partly
or wholly past. A very interesting instance of this is to be found
on the coast of Lebanon. Large deposits of Tertiary rock are
found at the mouths of the Beirut River, the Dog River and
Nahr-Abu-'Ali near Tripoli, showing that while in that part of
the Tertiary (the Miocene) most of the Lebanon had already
risen from the sea and become a mountain range, these areas at
the mouths of the rivers were still below sea level and were
receiving the sediments brought down by the rivers from the
rising Lebanon. It shows us that the principal valleys of Lebanon had already been outlined and begun to excavate their beds.
Further, it enables us to date more accurately the time of the
formation of Lebanon. We know that Lebanon did not begin
to rise from the sea until the end of the Cretaceous period, because the strata of Lebanon contain a complete series of Cretaceous rocks. These Miocene rocks at the mouths of the rivers
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
show us that in the Miocene time the elevation of Lebanon was
nearly completed.
In the early part of the Tertiary, the Bikac was an arm of
the sea. Later it became a fresh water lake. The bottom of
the lake was partly filled with sediments washed down from the
surrounding mountains, and the lake finally became dry through
the Litani River cutting deeply through the rock of its valley so
that the water drained away to the sea.
In the Quarternary, when much of Europe and North
America was covered with a mantle of ice, like Greenland and
the Antarctic today, the climate of Syria was colder than at present, and on the top of the Cedar Mountain was a glacier which
descended through Famm-ul-Mizab. The famous cedar grove
known as Arz-ur-Rabb is situated on the terminal moraine of
this glacier.
The principal additions to the land during the Quarternary
are the soil in the river valleys and the sands along the sea,
sometimes extending for miles inland, as south of Beirut and
particularly in southern Palestine. The deltas of the Nile and
of the Euphrates and Tigris were formed during the Quarternary.
Man made his appearance in these lands as early as the
middle of the Quarternary, many thousands and tens of thou*sands of years ago. The principal evidences of his occupancy
are the accumulation of flint implements in caves and other situations, together with the bones of animals which these early men
hunted and fed upon. Some of the animals are extinct, such as
certain species of bear, rhinoceros and hippopotamus. Others,
like the fallow deer, the roe deer, the Persian wild goat, and the
wild pig, are no longer found in these regions.
The mineral wealth of Syria and Palestine is not great.
The greatest asset is the limestone of the mountains which is of
great value for building, and would be priceless in such a region
as the Mississipi valley. The limestone is burned to make lime,
and some of it has been found suitable for the manufacture of
hydraulic lime and cement. There are local deposits of clay
suitable for pottery. There are no precious metals or gems. The
presence of oil in paying quantities is problematical. There is
some excellent bitumen at Hasbayya. Brown coal or lignite occurs in the sandstone (shahhar) of Lebanon, but it is of poor
quality, and the thickest beds do not exceed a metre in thickness.
There is some oil bearing shale, but at present prices it does not
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�JUNE, 1927
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pay to work it. There is excellent iron ore in small quantities,
but iron and steel can be imported for less than it would take
to smelt the native ore. The remains of smelting furnaces, which
were in use up to a century ago, are found all over Lebanon.
They explain the loss of the forests, which were burned up in
smelting the iron. If the higher parts of Lebanon, which are
unsuitable for cultivation, are ever covered with forests, they
will be the greatest asset of the country.
CONTENTMENT
Said Ibn Wakkas to his son: "My son, if thou desirest
riches seek them in contentment, for it is a wealth that is never
spent j and beware of avarice, for it is the ever-present poverty."
"Seest thou a greedy man who gathers wealth,
And leaves it to his heirs after his death?
Like unto a hunter's hungry dog is he,
For others pick the prey, yet hungry still hq be."
Arabic verse.
If thou art of a contented mind,
Thou wouldst differ in no way from one who possesses the whole world.
Arabic verse.
He who seeks the higher station in life
Would forever be a prey to worry.
If happily, therefore, thou wouldst live,
Be ever content with a station below thy own.
Arabic quatrain.
The wealth of man is what satisfies his wants j
Whatever is beyond that is poverty.
Arabic verse.
�T
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Where East and West Meet
By AMEEN RIHANI
An address delivered to the staff of the American University
of Beirut and -published in the Alumni Monthly
for April, 1927.
Where East and West Meet — this implies a partial denial of the dictum of Rudyard Kipling, megaphoned to the
world in a line of verse,
"East is East and West is West, and ne'er;the twain shall
meet."
I admit, at the start, that, from a surface point of view, the
evidence is in favor of Mr. Kipling. The East prays, the West
dances; the East dreams, the West thinks; the East broods, the
West plays. What is a mark of respect in the East, is considered
an offense in the West: the Oriental, when he enters your house,
slips off his shoes at the door; the Occidental finds a hat-rack for
his hat. The Oriental enquires about the health of your wife
and children, before he "bleeds" you; the Occidental goes to it
directly, even without a remark at times about the weather: the
one is suave and insidious, the other is blunt and often crude.
The Oriental is imaginative and metaphoric, the Occidental is
literal and "matter-of-fact." The Kipling dictum is in this, at
least, wholly to the point.
Like all generalities, however, these traits are not without
exception. They are characteristic, but not exclusive. Indeed
the mass gesture everywhere is dictated i by a common need or a
common fear; and nations, like individuals, are often the victims
of a prevailing manner. Take, for instance, the fawning and
florid Oriental, extravagant with the metaphor and the puff, —
he is not a type exclusive. He is a species produced by despotism
and its pompous court. Thq aristocracy kowtows to the emperor;
the lower classes kowtow to the aristocracy and to each other; —
the wholai nation kowtows, before the broken mirror of the soul,
to herself.
When absolute monarchies were the rule in Europe, the
Europeans, on the whole, were quite Oriental in the art of fawn-
ff
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JUNE, 1927
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ing and adulation} while the extravagant manner, as much in
evidence in the nation as around the throne, was revealed, not
only in the speech, but also in the* dress of the period. Consider
the ruffles and feathers of mylords at court} the flounces and
trains of mylady in waiting} — consider the dedications penned
by needy scribes to their rich patrons} — and consider, moreover,
the lewdness and the ribaldry, which reached the height of fashion at the courts of Catherine of Russia, Queen Elizabeth, and
Louis the XV. As for the people, they follow, according to the
Arabic proverb, their sovereign.
Without ideals, no matter how material and how low, the
business of life, whether in the Orient or in the Occident, would
still have been a cave-and-jungle proposition} and with ideals,
no matter how material and crudely spiritual, the nations rise
to a point — to many points — of contact with each other. Now
the protagonists of ideals in life are the poets, the sages, and the
prophets} and the nation that can boast of a prophet, a nation
that has withal a pantheon, cannot possibly be aloof, cannot even
maintain for a long time an attitude of aloofness, from the world.
Its politicians may build a Chinese wall around it, but its poets
and its sages will light their torches beyond that wall and carry
them, in the name of humanity, to the end of the world.
The Prophet Muhammad, I may say, lighted in the East
a triple torch of spiritual and physical and political ideals. Aye,
even political ideals. For is there anything more devoutly to
be wished, anything more idealistic, than to have a seer, a holy
man, at the head of the state? — a man of the people, heroic and
self-denying and just} — a man whose heart ever throbs with
love and mercy} — a man whose thoughts and words and, deeds
are the fruits of the holiness within him} — a man like Abraham
Lincoln, a man like Omar, the first Khalif. When such men
lead their people, in the East and in the West, the nations, no
matter how distant from each other, must meet} and they meet
on the higher plane of mutual understanding and mutual esteem.
Let us now consider the highest ideal of the prophets and
the poets — the ideal of the soul — which includes the ethical
and the practical aspects of life, and which is neither Oriental
exclusively nor Occidental. It is supremely human. Before it
every mark of birth disappears} and customs and traditions are
held in abeyance, and the differences in nationality and language
cease to be a hindrance to understanding. The soul seeking expression, the soul reaching out for truth, is one everywhere.
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
10
Confucius might be American in his ideal, even as he is Chinese,
and Emerson might be Chinese, even if he is American. Cotama
Buddha made manifest in London might be mistaken for Carlyle
and Carlyle revisiting the glimpses of the moon in Japan might
be mistaken for Cotama. Jelal-ud-Din Rumi, were he born in
Assisi would have been a St. Francis j and St. Francis, were he
born in Shiraz would have been a Jelal-ud-Din.
Even Yoni Naguci, to come down to our own times, and
Rabindranath Tagore are as much at home in New York or in
London as Lafcadio Hearn was in Japan and as Kipling himself
was in India. The highest ideal of the poet, I say again, is supremely human j and the poet's love for an alien land and people,
which is reflected in his work, in spite of the harshness, now and
then, of its criticism, finds its way, whole and pure, to the hearts
of his readers. We know India and Japan better because of
Kipling and Lafcadio Hearn; and the people of Japan and India
will know America and Europe better because of Naguci and
Tagore. This is one of the essentials of the message of genius—
one of its great achievements.
And genius everywhere is one. In the Orient and in the
Occident the deep thinkers are kin, the poets are cousins, the
pioneers of the spirit are the messengers of peace and goodwill
to the world. Their works are the open highways between nations, and they themselves are the ever living guardians and
guides.
Thus, then, when we go deep enough or high enough, we
meet. Even Kipling, in his Recessional, meets Tagore. It is
only on the surface that we differ and sometimes clash. True,
we do not always find our way to the depth or to the height, or
we do not take the trouble to do so. Often, too, when there is
a will, we are hindered by a prejudice inherited or acquired. We
begin by misunderstanding; and sometimes we only think that
we misunderstand. Impatient, we turn away, when another effort — a moment even of indulgence, of tolerance, of kindly
sympathy — might have brought us together. The difference
in the traits of nations are like tones in a picture: the central
theme, the ego and the soul, is one.
Our instincts and our ideals are more or less the same,
whether we wear hats or turbans. A barrister in Bombay may
argue in Hindustani or Gujrati, but his code of conduct is that
of his colleague in London. A merchant who sits crosslegged
at the door of his shop in Benares, adopts the same code of profit
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as that of the merchant of Manchester, who sits on a revolving
chair behind a desk of quartered oak. A poet is a poet, whether
he rides in a Ford or on a donkey; a sage is a sage, whether he
plays golf in NewJersey or bathes in the Ganges, or plays in the
desert} and a fool is a fool, whether he be a maharaja or a president of a republic. The only real difference between them is in
the point of view and the point of direction.
To us all, life is a gift, liberty is a right, and the pursuit
of happiness is the object supreme. But our conduct in the pursuit differs in accordance with the measure of justice we uphold.
A common measure, irrespective of class or creed or race or colour,
is the pivot of equality we uphold} it ennobles the individual and
the nation} it is the only safeguard to peace and progress, but
common measure is only possible when we begin to understand
and learn to appreciate each other's point of view and point of
direction.
Mutual tolerance is the stepping stone to mutual respect.
A hospitable mind is the' key to a neighbouring or an alien spirit,
locked by dogma and guarded by tradition. A sympathetic approach is the open sesameto a hidden treasure. The heart yields
to spontaneity, the mind bends to understanding. But we cannot
understand each other if our sympathies: are always safely tucked
away} we cannot understand each other if our approaches are always academic or conventional} we cannot understand each other,
if we crawl back into our shells every time we see a worm across
our path} we cannot understand each other, if every time we
venture out we stick the feathers of cocksureness in our caps; no!
we can never wholly understand each) other, and rise to the level
of mutual esteem at least, if we do not invest in that fellow-feeling that triumphs over class and creed and race and colour — that
one touch of nature that makes all the world kin.
COUNSEL
Said Buzurjumhar, the famous Persian vizier, to his son:
"My son, be cautious of the generous one lest you insult him}
of the mean one lest you honor him} of the vile one lest you
befriend him} of the fool lest you joke with him. Be wary as
though you were simple} be alert as though you were unattentive,
and remember as though you had forgotten."
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
The Great Lyric of Al-Farid
By
DR.
N. A.
KATIBAH
'Umar Ibnu '1-Farid, the greatest Arabian mystic poet, was
born in Cairo, Egypt, in the year 1181 A. D. His father; a Syrian of the city of Hamah in the northern part of Syria, was a
man of learning and affairs, and held the post of lieutenant of
the High Court (Khalifatu H-hukmi H-aziz) in Cairo.
Ibnu '1-Farid was of medium stature, fair and comely of
face, with a visible tinge of redness, and of a truly artistic nature, sensitive, impressionable, emotional, ardent, and, moreover,
given to solitude and readily affected by music.
Symptoms of his aesthetic tastes and mystic tendencies were
determined early in life, when as a mere youth, and alone, he
resorted to Wadi '1-mustadafin on the second mount of Al-Muqattam, where he wandered days and nights at a time before
going back home. City life seemed to jar upon his delicate sensibilities. He occasionally accompanied his father to court, but
seized by an irresistible desire for communion with self, he would
spurn city and court alike, and seek inspiration in his favorite
haunts in the dry, clear atmosphere of the desert.
Gradually, though quite in early youth, his nature found
expression in verse—sweet, mellow lines, but nevertheless impassioned and highly polished. At times his emotions, whether
touched by music or by an intensity of inspiration for which he
found no adequate expression, seemed to be overcome by rapture;
his complexion deepened, his eyes sparkled, his face beamed with
animation, and perspiration streamed down his body and ran on
the ground under his feet.
Yet, notwithstanding his love for solitude, he was scrupulous in his attire, and widely sought after for his society. His
serious turn of mind, serenity of bearing and reputed erudition
and piety, lent an air of gravity to his assemblages, composed
mostly of emirs, ulema, government officials and men of eminent
rank who flocked from all quarters to visit with him.
It was, however, in Mecca and in the environs of Mecca
that Ibnu '1-Farid's mysticism deepened and his poetical gift attained its full vigor and height. Deserting men and the society
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of men, though faithfully observing his daily religious duties
at the great sanctuary of that holy city, Ibnu '1-Farid gave himself up to solitary meditation and to the subtle influences that
nature brings to bear upon a lofty soul. The cool scented zephyrs
of the north, the tender memories of a day that has been, the
gentle passions of pastoral life awakened in him reflections upon
the vanities of life, and helped to nurse his susceptible emotions
and receptive mind into deeper moods and protracted reveries.
It was among those hills and in those silent valleys that he finally succeeded in entirely purging his soul from things mundane.
The impressions he received in this retirement of fifteen
years in the vicinity of Mecca left an indelible stamp upon his
poetry and life. There is hardly a poem of his that does not
bear strong evidences of this. It was there that he conceived his
great masterpiece "Nazmu VSulook", (or, as it is commonly
known, At-Taiya '1-Kubra), and probably composed the greater
part of it. It was there, too, that he first became at times so
completely absorbed in thought that he lapsed into ecstasies.
When these trances came he "was in a state of bewilderment.
Now he would stand, now sit, now repose on his side, now lie
on his back wrapped like a dead man; and thus would he pass
ten consecutive days, more or less, neither eating nor drinking,
nor speaking, nor stirring." We are told that the greater part of
his masterpiece was composed during these trances; for "the first
words he would utter on awakening from them were verses to
be added to it."
On returning to Egypt he found that his fame and verse
had already preceded him. In Cairo his society was more earnestly sought, and his person more zealously honored. All hung
upon his lips and listened to him as they would to a great king.
But, with all that, he declined to receive Sultan Mohammad (Almalik Al-kamil), and rejected his bounty. This seems all the
more remarkable when we learn that Sultan Mohammad was a
noted patron of learning, and a great admirer of poetry and the
poets.
Ibnu '1-Farid made the pilgrimage to Mecca in 1231 A. D.
On again returning to Cairo the masses received him with acclaim.
They pressed and crowded around him seeking to kiss his hands
and receive his blessing. He, however, always declined this honor, and merely put his hand in theirs. Respect and honor continued* to be shown him to the end.
Ibnu '1-Farid died in 1235 A. D., and was buried in the
�MM
THE SYRIAN WORLD
14
Qarafa Cemetery at the foot of Mt. Muqattam.
His poetry is noted for its beauty of diction, intensity of
glow and exceptional smoothness of rythm. The pathos that
permeates it seems to communicate itself readily to both reader
and listener and to hold them in sway.
I only hope in giving the following translation into English
verse of this poet's great LOVE LYRIC, I have not deteriorated
much of its beauty in the original. It must be borne in mind that
my attempt, at best, must be regarded as a translation. It will,
however, serve to convey to the English-speaking world some
idea of the intensity and sweetness of a poet of whom the Arabicspeaking world may well be proud.
Iv
"Wh
I.
Tis love, ;beware! Thy inner self redeem,
Nor deem love's sway a pleasant rosy dream.
An arrant fool is he who suffers pain
And grieves thereat, the ordeal seeks again.
Stay free, for love on anguish thrives and mends,
Begins with pining, in destruction ends.
And yet, to me, dissolved in love to go
Is life, for which my, loved one thanks I owe.
I speak not rashly — versed well am I,
Experience molds my words, nor pass me by.
Th' advice howe'er will prove but breath ill-spent,
For mortal man is wayward in his bent.
Since thou wilt love, seek not delusive bliss,
My counsel hear ere following that or this.
Unw
II.
Lay down thy life, for love a martyr fall,
If happiness in life thou wouldst attain j
If equal to the task obey the call,
Or else, unworthy man, from love abstain,
Nor join our band, nor follow in our train.
If thou wouldst live in love thou must implore it
To take thy life that it may love sustain}
Thou'lt suffer pain, but shouldst in truth ignore it.
Reborn, refined, enriched, thy love will soon restore it.
Nor
fc
�JUNE, 1927
15
Within the hive both pain and sweetness meet,
Who dreads the pain will never taste the sweet.
•\v
Persist in loving, love with all thy zeal,
And having seized the prize maintain thy hold;
Cast shame aside and with abandon reel}
Nor mind the hermit's ways so tamely cold,
However august he, revered and old.
Proclaim the lover who by love was killed:
"In full acquitted, be it boldly told!"
And to th' impostor say: "My tongue is stilled —
"What praise,what song,what honeyed words thy sham can gild?"
Think'st thou the eye be-pranked by penciled touch
Outcharms the one that nature made as such?
III.
Lo how th' intruders falsely claim they love,
And from my tenets proudly hold aloof j
From wish to morbid wish content they rove,
And think desire and love are warp and woof,
And in their folly spin thee proof on proof.
Avails it ought that these deluded men
In secret bear their cursed lot's reproof?
"We've waded through love's pathless seas!"—What then?
Unwetted there they stand, despite their sworn "Amen!"
With me ye pilgrims! — March by night, by day,
And let th' impostors' claims the blind inspire j
In dreams they journey, but behold they stay
Alingering in their place till they expire,
For ere they take one forward step they tire.
Imbued with envy darkness they prefer
To open guidance' blazing light and fire;
And groping round about they blindly err;
Nor ought I say could e'er th' impostors' pride deter.
IV.
Beloved of my heart! My pleader, love,
— My only intercessor — bears my plea.
But recognize the pleader; it will prove
�^=^-
:-
16
THE SYRIAN WORLD
JUh
Sufficient for the bond twixt me and ye;
Acknowledge it, and all is well with me:
Perchance, withal, a look with feeling fraught
Ye may bestow t' inquire of mine or me.
Vouchsafe as much — a glance — a fleeting thought:
Our messengers are all exhausted and distraught.
Beloved of my heart ye are for aye,
Though fair the world may treat me or yet ill;
Choose ye your attitude and choose your way,
Be as ye would and manage as ye will —
Whate'er ye do I'd be your lover still.
Should e'en denial meet my eager face,
But stern abandon follows not to kill,
I'd deem me favored by an act of grace,
For that denial is to me a kind embrace.
What is denial, (save it springs from hate)
But warm affection willing yet demure?
All hail denial! Welcome tests more great!
To that, to these I will myself enure,
Save absence — this I can't endure.
E'en torture at your hands is passing sweet,
Oppression, too, is justice sound and pure;
Should love so rule that these be trials meet,
I'd blithely court them all, and all as blithely greet.
Now double-natured patience sways my soul:
When fed on absence it is bitter myrrh,
And grows more galling as the moments roll;
When nursed on hope it sets my heart a-flurr,
The bitter turns to sweet with every stir.
Ye have ere now my tender heart possesst,
(No greater harm to me, if harm it were!)
What harm be there to ye, may I request,
While taking part of me to take as well the rest?
Away ye're gone, away, and none but tears
Are ever with me closer than a friend;
Save, too, the sigh that while it heaves it sears
The very inner parts it seeks to rend;
— My passion's seething sighs with fire ascend.
^
^
B
To <
..
lyrit
Ibn
ing
in (
Cal
ui-:
the
xin
lah
to
me
nei
tui
of
mi
�JUNE, 1927
17
A brooding vigil lives its watch to keep,
And night by night my open eyes attend}
My sleep is dead, and lo, my eyes must weep
To do the solemn rite and bathe my lifeless sleep.
Where'er ye stayed I thither also went,
And with my blood I drenched your late abode;
Where'er ye traveled thither I was bent,
Now tears like torrents flood the rolling road.
The continuation of this translation of Ibnu 'l-Farid's great
lyric will be -published in a coming issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD.
CRITICISM AND ADVICE
While on an outing, the Umayyad Caliph 'Abdul-Malek
Ibn Marwan became isolated from his companions and, meeting a Bedouin by the wayside, stopped to rest and pass the time
in conversation.
"Knowest thou 'Abdul-Malek Ibn Marwan?" asked the
Caliph.
"Yes, he is a brazen tyrant," replied the Bedouin.
"Woe to thee," interrupted the Caliph angrily, "I am <Abdul-Malek Ibn Marwan!"
The Bedouin did not flinch nor did he seem perturbed in
the least as he retorted:
"May Allah never greet thee, nor draw thee to His proximity. Thou hast devoured the money of charity which is Allah's and broken thy convenant with Him."
Greatly surprised at this audacity, the Caliph threatened:
"Knowest thou not that I have power to hurt and power
to benefit?"
"May Allah grant me not thy benefit, nor remove from
me thy hurt," retorted the Bedouin, not changing his cool manner and fearless demeanor.
Presently the companions of the Caliph appeared. Then,
turning to the Caliph, the Bedouin said:
"Keep that secret that is between thee and me, O Prince
of the Believers. Verily, fidelity to one's companion is of the
moral code of conversation."
The Caliph laughed heartily and rewarded his detractor.
�'! M' i'
II - «..
—
THE SYRIAN WORLD
IS
Benefits of Syrian Emigration
to Syria's Future
By REV. W. A. MANSUR
Thinking Syrian patriots arc seriously considering the effect
of Syrian emigration on Syria's future. Syrians have formerly
thought of Syria's relation to foreign powers, foreign education,
foreign customs; but now they are anxious about a possibly more
important subject: the decrease of Syria's population through
emigration and its effect on Syria's future.
The question of Syrian emigration will continue to cause
anxiety among those interested in the future of Syria and their
race. So long as Syrian migration was thought of as temporary
there was no occasion for anxiety. The keen-sighted editor of
THE SYRIAN WORLD, with statesman-like vision, aroused his enthusiasm to found and edit this publication to meet the need of
Syrian-Americans who have made America a permanent home.
This change of attitude on the part of Syrians in America has
created a somewhat anomalous position for the young Syrian in
America and constitutes a genuine social problem pressing for
solution. "The underlying cause of this problem," says the editor, "is the fact that Syrian emigration in its inception was not
intended to be permanent.* * * By degrees, the first immigrants
and those who followed in their wake came to reconcile themselves to the idea of permanency of sojourn." What is true of
Syrians in America is practically true of Syrians in all other lands.
The "Depopulation of Syria" (item in THE SYRIAN WORLD,
November, 1926,) says that the continuous stream of emigration
from Syria is alarming Syrian thinkers and leaders, and is called
"the greatest Syrian calamity" by a Beirut paper, and is due to lack
of confidence among the Syrian people in being able to achieve
economic independence in their own country.
Three attitudes are possible regarding the consequences of
Syrian emigration on Syria's future. The pessimist forsees disaster aheadj the optimist forsees only good; the meliorist forsees
that everything is not altogether good, nor altogether bad, but
that things slowly and surely will be made better if good and
"
�JUNE, 1927
ii 1
I
j
19
honest people work together for improvement. With regard
to this question I am a meliorist. Let us Syrians think and work
together with the good of our race and native land in mind. With
the pessimist I see the difficulties, with the optimist I see the good,
but with the meliorist I see the need for working together to
bring about our highest dreams for Syria. By these reflections I
wish to spread the melioristic spirit among fellow Syrians who
love and yearn for their race and native land.
Syrian International Thinking and Intercourse Are Taking
the Place of Syrian Isolation and Provincialism. The Great War
is still freeing Syria of its isolation and provincialism. Syrians
must think in international terms. They must develop intercourse
with other nations. Unless this is done the future Syrian mind
will be narrow and know only about "me and mine" and let the
world go by. Such a mind will be cribbed, cabined, and confined.
Already Syrians are thinking in world terms. Syria may be the
home-land, but the whole terrestrial ball must be their domain.
I am a Pan-Syrian and by this I claim a rightful place for the
Syrian nation among the nations of earth, the natural human
rights for Syrians everywnere, tne good of Syria in the service
of mankind, and the welfare of the world for Syria's good.
Syrian provincialisms must go. "The growing social evil of
America is provincialism," said Cooper in 1838. An American
writer, before the Great War, said it was one of America's besetting sins. "Our cities, our states, and our country have grown,
but we have not outgrown the village mind, our country seat
pride, or our city conceit." The Great War is breaking down this
barrier to progress and is freeing not only America but Syria and
other nations. Syrian patriots must free Syria of every vestige
of inherited provincialism.
The Syrian is cosmopolitan in nature. Provincialism was
brought on by the old regimes. The old order is gone. The
Syrian soul is free. Provincialism is a state of mind brought on
by outward circumstances and is dying hard. The provincial
mind closes its doors and windows, the air grows fetid, and suffocation ensues. Prejudice, bigotry, hatred, and a brood of diseases that love darkness begin to thrive and infest the land. The
splendour of the Syrian soul is showing its free and cosmopolitan
and international spirit wherever Syrians dwell.
"Under modern conditions," says H. G. Wells, "world wide
�20
THE SYRIAN WORLD
economic and educational equalization is in the long run inevitable." The modern study of history, modern science, modern education, comparative religion and international commerce are creating
the international mind. Sugar comes from Cuba, coffee from Brazil, rubber from Mexico, tea from China, silk from Japan. Greece
gave us art, eloquence, philosophy j Palestine, genius for religion j
Rome, organization and law. Universal education in Syria will
bring light and freedom. Provincialism, a child 'of ignorance,
will perish.
Therefore, let us not sectionalize the Syrian soul. Let us
not sectionalize Syria. Let us not sectionalize Syria's youth.
Following a Roosevelt ideal, let not Syria become a sectionalized
nation with a polyglot soul. There must not be a Christian Syria,
nor, a Mohammedan Syria, nor a Druze Syria, nor a Protestant,
Catholic or Jewish Syria. Let there be, above all, one nation
with one soul, one flag, one language. Syrian emigration will
help create a united Syrian nation, destroy isolation and provincialism, and develop international thinking and intercourse.
Through Syrian Emigration there Has Come to Syria a
Higher Conception of Labory Namely, the Dignity and Honor
of Labor. Syria is discarding the old theory that labor is for the
uncultured, the poor, and the slave. Consider the advancement
man has made since "the shackeled galley slave bent to his task
in the ships of Phoenicia." In slavery the capitalist owned the
laborer. In feudalism the capitalist owned the land and had a
lien on the laborer who was attached to it. In democracy the
capitalist and laborer are co-partners and owners of land and material, and sharers of profits.
"Human nature is still struggling with the fallacy," said
Secretary of Labor James J. Davis, "born in the days when all
manual labor was performed by slaves, that work with the hands
is the task of an inferior man. * * * Before us lies the task of
ending this contempt for honest work, before eliminating that
centuries-old struggle for the dignity and honor of labor which
began when the Carpenter of Nazareth wrought with adze and
saw in the house of His foster father. Today we face the necessity of establishing the dignity of labor in the minds of all mankind."
It is a fact that there is "no inferior work or toil" just as
there are no inferior races. Labor, toil, work, done by head,
i
�JUNE, 1927
'"
.
21
heart, and hand are God's plan for mankind.
"The toil of brain, of heart, or hand,
Is man's appointed lot;
He who God's call understand,
Will work and murmur not.
Toil is no thorny crown of pain,
Bound round man's brow for sin;
True souls, from it, all strength may gain,
High manliness may win."
An able Syrian thinker stated in a New York paper several
yars ago the outgoing of the old, and the incoming of the new
idea about labor into Syria. He said Syrians with the old idea
refused to do, as far as possible, all sorts of work, and that Syrians did do all sorts of work in their adopted countries. The
rising generations are struggling with the ideas about labor amidst
the passing old generation. The conflict between the new and old
ideas is now going on and may be seen in Syria today. Once I
saw a Syrian who had spent several years in Detroit, in a Syrian
sea-coast city trying to carry the old and new ideas about work.
He was dressd in an American suit, hat and shoes, and with a
"gunny-sack" full of mrchandise on his' back walking down main
street.
Syria is all astir because of the rejuvenating doctrine of the
dignity of labor. I, too, wish to preach the doctrine of the "strenuous life". I wish to preach against "the doctrine of ignoble
ease". I would proclaim from the house-tops with Roosevelt
"the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort,
of labor and strife} to preach that highest form of labor, success,
which comes to the man who does not shrink from danger, from
hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the
splendid ultimate triumph."
Enduring modern civilization will come to Syria and any
nation when people believe that labor is a blessing from Deity, a
means to human happiness, and a foundation for progress.
A great need of Syria is modern agricultural methods.
Scientific farming is essential to Syria's development, and farming is a most dignified toil, and should merit the highest attention of the Syrian nation. In the words of Daniel Webster: "Let
us never forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. Man may be civilized in some degree
without} great progress in manufactures and with little commerce
�'
22
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m i
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
with his distant neighbors. But without the cultivation of the
earth he is, all countries, a savage. Until he gives up the chase,
and fixes himself in some place, and seeks a living from the earth,
he is a roaming barbarian. When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization."
The Growth of the Syrian Population in Syria is Another
Benefit and will Follow the Present Era of Emigration. All
people are more or less migratory. Syrians who emigrate are
following their ancestors the Phoenicians who founded Carthage
and other Phoenician colonies. Ancient migrations were those
of peoples or tribes. Modern migrations are more or less of an
individual matter. Lack of food, territory, or peace were the
dominating causes of ancient migrations. In modern times the
labor market, government oppression and injustice, and religious
intolerance and persecution are the dominating causes.
The present period of rejuvenation in Syria will be followed
by a period of tremendous progress. Syria is espousing the industrial revolution of the West. There is developing a complex
social life. The cities are growing. This demands greater social
co-operation and division of labor. Syrians must master the forces
of nature. The mechanical industrial revolution in Syria will
produce more food and increase the population. For food supply
is essential to the new social order in Syria.
Under the old conditions the Syrian population increased
up to the limit of food supply. Constant warfare, tribal feuds,
famine, disease, infant mortality, and lack oi the modern control
of nature kept the population down. Modern study shows that
for the increase of a population there must be an increase of the
food supply. There must be peace, low cost of food, decrease
of infant mortality, and modern conveniences to meet the particular needs of climate and season.
To make a way for the increase of the Syrian population in
Syria there must come intensive modern scientific farming to
increase the food supply.
In this respect I am somewhat inclined to adopt the Malthusian doctrine for the increase of the Syrian population. According to Malthus: "1. Population is necessarily limited by the
means of subsistence. — 2. Population invariably increases where
the means of subsistence increase, unless prevented by some very
powerful and obvious checks. — 3. The power of population
being in every period so much superior, the increase of the human
species can only be kept down to the level of the means of sub-
nmw 'ii mm :-:
�^l_.
JUNE, 1927
23
sistence." Malthus believed in the inherent tendency in the
population to outstrip the food supply to be the main source of
human misery. In criticism we say that Malthus wrote prior
to the development of the mechanical industrial revolution and
could not have imagined modern man's mastery of nature. I
believe, for the present period, Syria's great need is the production of greater food supply to make a way for a rising tide of
a greater population. Modern agricultural methods will accelerate greater food production in the near future.
The Success of Syrian Character, Talent, and Energy Abroad
is an Inspiration and Example to Syrians in the Home-Land.
Syrians abroad have found their race and racial talents. I am
a Syrian and proud of the providential racial talents of my race,
but I am, not a racialist. Sir Thomas Overbury said: "The man
who has not anything to boast of but his illustrious ancestors is
like a potato — the only good belonging to him is underground."
The Syrian believes that any one may be as good as he, and he
may be as good as any other.
The knowledge of our racial character, talent, and energy
should become part of our thinking. It will give us a better
estimate of ourselves, will elevate the thinking of our Syrian
youth, and will call for the higher respect of other races for
our race. The Rev. K. A. Bishara's remarkable article on THE
CONTRIBUTION OF THE SYRIAN IMMIGRANT TO AMERICA charmingly sets forth what I have in mind. (See January issue of THE
SYRIAN WORLD.)
_
.
The Syrian immigrant is giving realization to the racial
endowments of his race. Already Syrians have won their spurs
in education, commerce, politics and other human endeavors.
The reaction on the home-land will more than repay for the
number lost by emigration. Competition with other races will
set the Syrian on his mettle and bring out the best in him. The
Syrian in Syria will, likewise, come to grips with other races.
This will try his soul and self-reliance will emerge m all it*
glory in the Syrian that is to be.
Syrian Emigration will Bring about Co-operation which in
Turn will Set aside Sectional and Religious Feuds. The Syrian
people of Syria must learn to live together in peace. The example, literature and history of other nations show the way.
Syrians at home must catch the vision from other nationt.
�illinium—IIW illillWIIIMH
—
THE SYRIAN WORLD
24
The American Civil War teaches that civil strife may be
a greater harm and danger than an outside foe. Civil discord,
hate, prejudice, and war, are to my mind more destructive to a
nation than famine, disease and war with an outside foe. The
former are more destructive because they have the tendency to
perpetuate themselves in the hearts and minds of the rising generations.
A new era will dawn in Syria when the people learn to get
along together for peace, prosperity, happiness, and liberty. A
Czecho-Slovak educator said at a Helsingfors Conference: "We
used to say to them, 'You are made in God's image, and there
should be no difference between you'; but we have stopped saying that now. We say, 'Yes, you are Russians, Letts, Esthonians,
Poles, Czecho-Slovaks—but you all can play football together.
It's the game; it's team work, and you can all play together—
for the team.' "
Syrians in foreign lands are beginning to say to Syrians in
the home-land, "You are Druzes, Christians, Moslems, Jews,
Mitwalites. You must "play the game of life" together for the
sake of Syria."
"The welfare of the community," said Withelaw Reid, "is
always more important than the welfare of any individual or
number of individuals; and the welfare of the community is the
highest object of the study of politics."
My forbears lived in the region of Hasbayya and Jideidet
Marj'ycun. I was born in Jideidet Marj'youn and was brought
up within sight of snow-capped Jebel-esh-Sheikh. My forbears
were in the strife of 1860 and others. Syria is now emerging
out of, not a local strife, but a national crisis. I ask, and you be
judge and jury, shall I perpetuate the prejudices, religious intolerance and political ideas of 1860, or the democracy, religious
tolerance, and good-will of 1927 by indoctrinating my children
with the same?
Our ancestors lived by the light they had, it is important
to Syria's future that we live by the superior light of our day.
The Syrian spirit of today must not be shackled by the spirit of
the days before the Great War. The Syrian nation's talents and
energies must not be divided. The look must be forward, not
backward. Guidance must come from the light before, and not
from the flickering torch of dying ideals of the past. Let us
organize for the eradication of religious, sectional and historic
feuds. Let Christians, Moslems, Druzes and Jews agitate, edu-
!
*
.
�JUNE, 1927
25
cate, legislate toward the elimination of civil strife and for democratic co-operation within the nation.
That the Child is the Golden Key to the Realization of our
Hopes for Syria is, perhaps, the Greatest Benefit of Syrian Emigration. In reading William Allen White's IN THE HEART OF A
FOOL I was struck with this saying, of Mrs. Van Dorn to her father: "It's the children who carry the banner of civilization, the
hope of progress, the real sunrise." The children of today will
be the citizens of tomorrow, and they are in the making. Syria's
future will depend largely upon the rising generations. Whatever you desire for Syria's future you must put into the body,
mind, and spirit of Syria's children. Our ideas may be lofty,
but unless the rising generations are prepared to adopt them, all
our endeavors will be in vain. Roosevelt said: "If you are going
to do anything permanent for the average man you have got
to begin before he is a man. The chance of success lies in working with the boy and not with the man." To improve Syria you
must improve the children.
"We talk of our breed of cattle,
And plan for a higher strain j
We double the food of the pasture,
We heap up the measure of grain;
We draw on the wits of the nation,
To better the barn and the pen.
But what are we doing, my brothers,
To better the breed of men?"
I believe a compulsory educational system for Syria free
from religion, sect, or political party is one of the most important
steps toward Syria's progress. I believe a common and uniform
system of secular education is absolutely necessary if Syria's children are to have common training, common ideals, common citizenship, and common loyalty. I once asked in an address, "How
can Syria make progress with prejudiced loyalty, one loyalty prejudiced with Christianity, another with Judaism, another with
Mohammedanism?" I am a Christian by birth and choice and
believe in tolerance. I believe that to create a common loyalty
education must be freed from creed, sect, and political party.
Subject to the parents' preference, let religious instruction be gotten at home, church, mosque, or synagogue.
I
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
Finally, I would plant in the mind and heart of Syria's
youth the goal of Syrian brotherhood. For as Edwin Markham
says:
"The crest and crowning of all good,
Life's final star, is Brotherhood."
THE WISDOM OF MU'AWIYAH
Abdullah Ibn Zubair, a bitter enemy of Mu'awiyah, the
first Umayyad Caliph, had property adjacent to that of Mu'awiyah, which was run by negro slaves. One day, Mu'awiyah's slaves
trespassed on the land of Ibn Zubair, who was enraged at this
offense, and in the heat of his anger wrote Mu'awiyah a threatening letter in which he said: "O Mu'awiyah, if you do not recall your slaves from my property, I will do and I will do "
When the letter reached Mu'awiyah he read it and gave it
to his son Yazid, and upon the latter reading it his father asked:
"What think you we should do with this son of Zubair?"
Yazid, enraged at the tone of the letter, replied: "By Allah, send him an army whose vanguard will reach him before
its rearguard leaves here, and let them dispatch his head to you."
But Mu'awiyah penned a letter to Ibn Zubair which he
read to Yazid. It ran thus:
"I received thy letter, O son of the companion of the
Prophet, and I was grieved, by Allah, for what befell thee at
the hands of my slaves. The whole world is nothing in exchange
for thy goodwill. I have granted thee the land and the slaves
thereon, and have bound myself in writing to that effect, and
had witnesses testify to the deed. Behold the land is your land,
and the slaves are your slaves."
Then, sealing the letter, he sent it to Ibn Zubair who, when
he read it and reflected on its contents, replied:
"I have perused the letter of the Prince of Believers, may
Allah extend the length of his days, and in answer thereto I
pray Allah that the such sound counsel which has enabled him
to reach this high station in Koreish (the Meccan tribe of Mu'awiyah and Zubair) may never cease. The peace of Allah be
upon thee."
When Mu'awiyah had read the letter of Ibn Zubair, he
said to Yazid: "My son, when such a disease confronts thee
treat it with such a remedy."
\\>
/
�JUNE, 1927
27
The Reward of Magnanimity
cAn Arabian Nights' Story
Translated from the Arabic Original.
')
Following the death of al-'Abbas, the Slaughterer, who effected the overthrow of the Umayyads of Damascus and established the rule of the 'Abbasides in Baghdad, and upon the ascension of his successor, Abu Ja'far al Mansur, the remnants of
the Umayyad dynasty who escaped the massacre of al-'Abbas
incited a big revolt in Damascus against the 'Abbasides. They
rose at a given moment and put to death all those whom they
could apprehend of the 'Abbasides.
Among those whom they sought to kill was a certain al'Abbas, the chief guard of the Caliph al-Mansur. He was walking in one of the streets of Damascus, buying some necessities,
when the news of the uprising reached him, and hurried to enter a spacious house with an open gate in a narrow street. In the
court of the house, seated square-legged on a mat and propped
by pillows, he saw an old man, with a long, gray beard and dignified mien, denoting his noble bearing and lineage. He did not
move, but, looking up to the frightened stranger, he said:
"Who mayest thou be?"
Al-'Abbas replied:
"A man in fear for his life who seeks refuge in thy precincts."
"Thou art welcome, and no harm shall touch thee, Allah
willing. Quick, enter this room," said the old man, pointing to
its door. Then, hurriedly bolting the gate and entering his
harem, he took out a feminine garb and threw it to al-'Abbas,
urging:
"Take off thy clothes and wear these, for I fear thou art
sorely pressed by thy enemies."
In all haste, the guard disrobed and disguised himself in a
woman's gown. Then the old man, taking him in hand, lead
him to the harem's quarters and left him among his women-folk,
appeasing his fears with reassuring remarks.
"Fear not," he said, nor stir from thy seat."
Saying which, he went away and opened the gate, just in
�_
28
THE SYRIAN WORLD
time when the Umayyad avengers had come up to seek their
vanished victim. They asked the old man about him, but he
answered that he did not see him.
"We will search your house, then," insisted the angry mob,
and brushing him aside, they entered and searched every nook
and corner of the house except the harem's quarters, which is
held inviolable according to Moslem traditions, and in which
they never suspected to look for a man.
When the Umayyads had departed, the old man brought
out al-'Abbas, comforted him with kind words and thanked Allah for his safety, keeping him within his house three days and
three nights.
At the end of this period, al-'Abbas said to his host:
"I have already stayed long here in thy house, and I know
not how to reward thee sufficiently, but I must proceed to my
master."
The old man gave his consent, bringing him provisions for
the way, a mount and five hundred dinars to boot. Then he
said:
"All the provisions for thy trip are here, but I fear if thou
goest out openly thy safety will be hazarded. Tarry thou here,
then, till the fall of the eve's shadows, when thou mayest go
unnoticed before the city's gates are bolted for the night."
Al-'Abbas did accordingly, and as the sun set in the west,
the old man accompanied his guest to the city's gate, and left
him not till he was safely out of the city, nor did he return till
al-'Abbas pleaded with him importunely to do so. Only then
did the old man bid al-'Abbas farewell, and, trusting him to
God's keeping, retraced his. steps back to the city.
All the way home, al-'Abbas kept wondering at this remarkable man and his unparalleled magnanimity till he reached Baghdad and attached himself to the service of the Caliph al-Mansur.
One day, a few years later, as al-'Abbas, in accordance with
his custom, had risen very early and proceeded to the Caliph's
palace, he met the Caliph's messenger, coming to tell him that
he was sent to fetch him with all haste for an urgent matter.
Al-'Abbas hastened his steps, and as he appeared before the Caliph, the latter looked up to him and said in a grave voice:
"O 'Abbas, take this prisoner and keep him in thy custody
till the morrow. By Allah I swear, if he escapes thee I will
not be satisfied with anything less than thy head."
Bowing low, al-'Abbas indicated his obedience to the Ca-
V
�JUNE, 1927
Hi
29
liph's command, then, turning about, he saw in a corner opposite
the Caliph an old man in stocks, his head bent in silent sadness
and resignation to Allah's fate.
A1-*Abbas then took the man with him to his house and, giving orders to his servants, he had a table set before them. But
so great was the fear of al-cAbbas, lest by some misadventure
the prisoner may escape, and he himself merit the fatal wrath
of the Caliph, he had the free end of the prisoner's handcuffs
clapped to his left wrist, removing the other shackles from the
neck and feet of the prisoner.
The two ate and drank in silence, for the situation was too
grave, and the old man was in no mood for conversation. At
last the silence became so. oppressive that al-'Abbas could not endure it longer and asked the man:
"Whence comest thou, my old man?"
"From Damascus," replied the man pensively.
"Dost thou know then so and so," continued al-<Abbas, naming the very one who had saved his life before,
"There is none who knows him better. But what seekest
thou in inquiring about him?" he asked in turn.
"By Allah," replied al-< Abbas, "I am the bond-slave of his
kindness, and am beholden to his gratitude to the end of days."
Then he related to the prisoner how the man in Damascus had
saved him in the riot of the Umayyads.
At hearing this, the old man smiled and shook his head,
uttering not a word. But as he smiled al-'Abbas looked closely,
and, behold! he found that the man before him was none other
than the one who had saved his life in Damascus. He questioned
him insistently until he admitted that he was that man indeed.
Al-(Abbas immediately rose and unlocked the shackles in spite
of the protestations of the prisoner.
Then he ordered his slaves to bring his guest a change of
clothes and told him to make ready.
"What for?" inquired the man.
"By Allah," replied al-'Abbas, "I am intent on saving thee
as thou dist save me. Make ready, for I shall take thee out of
Baghdad, and shall not leave thee till thou art miles away from
this city."
"This shall not be," protested the old man, "for I shall
not jeopardize thy life for my sake. By Allah, if thou goest
without me to the Caliph, he shall surely make thee pay with
thy life. Far be it from me to buy my safety with thy blood!"
�30
THE SYRIAN WORLD
"And what is thy guilf before the Caliph?" asked al-'Abbas.
"I was falsely accused of sedition, and that some of the
Umayyads had hidden their treasures in my house," the man
cxDiciincci.
"Since that is thy case," persisted al-'Abbas, "by Allah, I
shall surely set thee free, nor care I a whit what becomes of me
at the Caliph's."
The prisoner, however, did not listen to the plea ot al- Abbas, saying:
...
-o *
"Think not that I will comply with thee in this matter. But
listen to me, for I have a better plan. Hide me in a room in
thy house, and go thou to the Caliph without me and present
my case before him; if he acquits me, then thou shalt come back
and set me free, otherwise I would present myself to the Caliph,
and thou shalt be free. To any other arrangement I shall not
consent."
This al-'Abbas did, not without reluctance, and on the morrow went straight to the Caliph. When the latter saw him enter
without the prisoner, his forehead puckered in excessive wrath,
and the veins of his eyes turned red, as if sparks of fire were
emitted from them. And the Caliph said:
"Hai! O 'Abbas, where is the man?"
And al-'Abbas replied:
"I crave thy indulgence, O Prince of the Believers j verily,
forgiveness is more akin to righteousness than justice." Then
he related to the Caliph what had happened between himself
and the prisoner in Damascus at the time of the not.
As al-'Abbas proceeded with the story, the Caliph s face,
which had turned ashen with rage, changed, and his features
brightened up. Then when al-'Abbas came to the conclusion
of his story, the Caliph cried to him:
"Fie on thee, O 'Abbas, does one do thee such an art ot
magnanimity and thou rewardest him thus, dismissing him without telling us about him that we may reward him fittingly?
The Caliph then wrung his hands in regret, saying:
"Shall a man to whom we are indebted with a gratitude
escape us thus?"
At hearing this, al-'Abbas was encouraged to say:
"Fear not, my Lord, for the man is still at my house, hiding in accordance with his own desire. For he refused to flee
and subject me to the wrath of thy justice."
"By Allah," exclaimed the Caliph, "this last act equals even
i
I
W&L
�I
JUNE, 1927
31
his former kindness to thee. Hasten thee and bring him to me."
Al-'Abbas went and presently returned with the old man,
who bowed and kissed the ground before the Caliph. But the
Caliph motioned him to come and sit beside him on the throne,
and showed him exceeding honor, bestowing on him rich presents. Then he offered him the governorship of Damascus, but
the man declined it and thanked the Caliph profusely, asking
merely to be granted a safe conduct home. This the Caliph did,
giving him letters to his commissioners in Damascus in which he
' j ordered them to tender him all honor and show him the respect
that is due him.
THE CHOSEN THREE
y^'""
By SUMAYEH ATTIYEH
<
God, knowing how the world had progressed in learning,
science, and business, called Gabriel, His messenger angel, and
said to him: "Go down to earth, and study it well, and after an
efficient investigation, bring back to me the three most worthy
things that are fit to enter heaven."
Gabriel came down to earth, and after a period of time, he
selected twelve good things, but out of the dozen, he chose the
three best: Mother Love, a baby smile, and a fragrant white
flower. On the way, the beautiful white flower wilted and died;
the baby's sweet and innocent smile faded and evaporated in the
air and sunshine, but the only lasting and worth-while thing
that was fit to enter heaven was Mother Love.
SYRIAN PROVERBS
Woe to him who has no nails with which to scratch his skin.
Nothing scratches your skin better than your own nail.
What can a hair-dresser do to an old hag?
Don't wish your friend opulence because you will lose him.
�32
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Famous Cities of Syria
Beirut
"Like a queen sitting on the mountain side, bathing her feet
in the water of the sea," was the way an ancient writer described
the city of Beirut. There it still sits today, as it has sat from
times immemorial, — from the prehistoric days when the ancient cavemen fought the huge savage animals with rudely hewn
flint arms in the Stone-Age. Yet with all its hoary age, very
little is recorded of the history of this city, much less than what
is known about its famous sister-cities to its north, south and east.
To the tourist who crosses the Mediterranean Sea to visit
the Holy Land, Beirut is probably the first Syrian city which
meets his anxious gaze. Its view is heralded by the sweet scent
of the orange flower and the rose, and long before the city comes
into full view, the stately peaks of the Lebanon Mountain, Sannin and Kanisa, almost conical, and snow-capped, peer out of
the horizon. Gradually the olive-clad slopes of Lebanon, studded with little hamlets and villages, with white-washed walls
and flat and red-tiled roofs, emerge, and finally the serene, tranquil Bay of St. George opens its arms to welcome the ship and
its cargo to the city of Beirut which ranges in a semi-circle behind it.
Should the tourist happen to come in at night when the
moon had just come out of her chamber behind the Lebanon
Mountain, casting her soft, magic rays across the bay, dancing
and fluttering to the gentle ripples of the waves, the romantic
effect would certainly be heightened.
Beirut is one of the foremost cities of Syria and the capital
of the new Republic of Lebanon, created under the French mandate a year ago. It is the principal port of Syria, and much
of the commerce of Damascus is done through Beirut, with which
it is connected by a railroad.
Not always was Beirut a prosperous city. For hundreds of
years at a stretch it lay lazily by the sea, like an idle fisherman,
who cares not whether the fish nibble at his rod or notj or like
a Rip Van Winkle who had suddenly awakened from a long
I
mmmmm
�THE PLACID BAY OF BEIRUT
The Lebanon range of mountains rises abruptly from the sea in the immediate vicinity of the city.
The snow-capped peak of Sannin is sharply
outlined against the horizon.
�VIEWS OF NEW BEIRUT
i -IPI ;;•«£. , r^'^ia
'^Jiafi v^'t^Jb id«%.^ - .v^Fi-jir
^•^sSlnfi tlW!tt<f ?jpw^» • "'^
PB^&SIJLAB §&£&
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4k
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n '
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^jj*
r.
BBYOOUTH
Petit.Seratl^^t
^Nik
"~J*I**^
MratobC -. "*"r'^
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Hfc>
!
The old serail, or administrative building, in the heart of Beirut
facing the City square.
w
1;
. ,-»
'I^^Mfc.
Le-S^P
k^^., ^
H^^^
n f
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":M
B^ t£<
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Place ^es C<wo«s .... ,„
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A typical scene in modern Beirut, showing one of the modern hotels.
�THE FAMOUS PINE GROVE OF BEIRUT
The Pines were planted in the 17th century on what is known as the Ras,
or promontory of Beirut, to prevent the encroachment of the sand on the
citv. This "Woods" is to Beirut what the Bois de Boulogne is to Paris.
�A GENERAL VIEW OF BEIRUT
tsericatni
Showing that part of (he city lying by the sea.
�JUNE, 1927
35
slumber, to find the world so different, yet, in many ways, so
like the world of his youth.
The present prosperity of Beirut dates back to the sixth
decade of the 19th century when French capitalists, with the encouragement of their government, invested millions of francs in
its modern harbor, and in the railroad that links Beirut with Damascus. From that day, Beirut became a truly modern city, the
most modern, Westernized city in Syria. It also became the
centre of missionary and educational activities of the different
Western nationalities, which revived the old reputation of Beirut
as the city of tranquillity and learning. At; one time.Beirut was
famous all over the ancient world for its Law schools j today it
is famous throughout the Near East for its various universities,
schools and presses, supported, mostly, by contributions from
abroad. With its economic and cultural developments, Beirut
gained in population more than any other city for the same period of time.
Biblical scholars differ on the interpretation of the name
"Beirut". The two Hebrew forms, Berotha and Berothai occur
in the Bible, the latter being, perhaps, a corruption of the former. But nowhere in the Bible does the name seem to Biblical
scholars to correspond with the site of our present city. In one
place, Ezekial 47-16, the city is given as the ideal northern boundary of the restored kingdom and as falling with Hama and Sibraim, between the Damascus and Hama districts. The Jewish
scholar Ewald, however, identifies it with our city.
Whether the identification is correct or not is not very material. Beirut is old enough to have been there before any of
the books of the Bible was ever written.
Under the variations, B'irutu and B'runa, it occurs in the TelAmarna letters, while in the list of the cities conquered by
Thotmes III we come across it as Bi'arutu. Thotmes III reigned in the 16th century B. C, so that Beirut was a recognized city
important enough to be counted among the cities subjugated by
a:great conqueror, about three centuries before the exodus of the
Israelites from Egypt.
Some of the ancient writers derived the name from Barota
of the Aramaic, meaning cypress, which was a symbol of Astarte.
But more probably it is the plural form of bVr, or well. The
well-known Jesuit historian and scholar, Father Louis Cheiko,
from whose learned .articles on the history of Beirut, appearing
in the 21st and 22nd volumes of al-Machriq Magazine, most
�34
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of the subsequent facts of this article are taken, favors this view,
saying that Beirut abounds in wells, many of which have remained to the present day and are used by its people.
Beirut played a significant part in the history of Syria, but
was not quite distinguished enough to make its name stand out
in popular imagination and keep it in the minds of future generations until the days of the Roman Empire. Allusion has already
been made to its prehistoric origin. Today, one may find silent
witnesses to this distant origin in the rough and crude flint spearheads and knives in the museums of the Jesuit College, the Amer-'
ican University, of Beirut and the National Museum. Just how
old these rough implements are is uncertain, except that they belong to the Stone-Age, which is an indefinite term, as the StoneAge in some parts of the world was earlier than in others. But
since these stones are described as rough, they evidently belong
to the Paleolithic, or earlier subdivisions of the Stone-Age.
The first historic mention of Beirut is found in the monuments of Niram-Sin, the old Assyrian king of the 4th millenium
B. C, son of Sargon. ,The Amorites, as the people of Syria and
Palestine were then known, were subject to the Assyrians. But
at the end of the 3rd millenium the Amorites held sway over
the land of Babylon, and the vanquished population which fled
to the Arabian Peninsula gradually infiltrated into the lands of
the Amorites and conquered them. These conquerors of Syria
are supposed to be the ancestors of the Phoenicians. The word
Phoenicia comes from the Greek Phcenix, meaning the palm tree.
The Phoenicians broke up into many little kingdoms, one
of which was the kingdom of Jubail, of which Beirut was a colony.
These little kingdoms were caught between the nether and the
upper stones of the bloody rivalry between the two mighty kingdoms of Egypt and Assyria. Beirut, we surmise from the facts
presented by Father Louis Cheiko, was more influenced by Egyptian than Assyrian civilization, which would be quite natural owing
to the nearness of Beirut to Egypt. One of the feudal princes
of Beirut under the Egyptian Pharaoh, Aumnirra by name, mentions in one of the Tel-Amarna letters that he went out with all
his infantry, cavalry and chariots to fight the "enemy of the
king." At one time the kingdom of Beirut was 36 kilometers
by 10! Egyptian kings established temples for their gods in
Jubail, and recent discoveries establish the fact that Egyptian influence over that part of Syria was very strong.
The Egypt-Babylon rivalry ended with the rise of the Per-
�JUNE, 1927
35
sian kingdom which swept Syria and Palestine in its wake of
conquests.
It was the Persians who first recognized the strategic position of Beirut. They encouraged its commerce and built a vast
fleet with which they annexed several cities on the shores of Asia
Minor and Syria.
From earliest days the history of Beirut was linked with
that of navigation. One of the myths about Beirut, mentioned
by the Christian Greek poet Monnus, relates that Beirut was
given as a present to Poseidon and the Cabeiri. These latter
were Grecian minor deities of navigation, and the name undoubtedly is of Phoenician origin meaning great or big.
In the Seleucide period Beirut entered on a new regime.
It became a Greek city with Greek civilization predominating and
slowly supplanting the Phoenician one. This change, however,
could not have been accomplished all of a sudden. We must
assume that Beirut, with its extensive navigation, had come in
touch with Greek life and had cultivated a cosmopolitan spirit
which was sympathetic with Greek culture, as Greek culture itself was sympathetic with the Phoenician one. So strong became
the attachment of Beirut to the Seleucide dynasty that when a
certain Alexander Balas, a usurper, rose against the Seleucide
king Demetrius Nicator, the people of Beirut sided with the
Greek king. It was for this loyalty that Tryphon, a follower
of Balas, who revived the revolt by assuming the regency over
Dionysius, the infant son of Balas, remembering the treachery
of Beirut to the cause of Balas, burned it to the ground in the
year 140 B. C.
Under the Romans Beirut enjoyed what might be called
its golden age. Augustus singled it out for special favors, creating it a Roman colony and calling it after his own name and that
of his daughter Julia. The full Roman name of Beirut then
was Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus. It became the seat
of two great Roman legions, the Fifth or Macedonian Legion,
and the Eighth or Augustan Legion, and many imposing public
buildings, theatres, baths, amphitheatres rose to adorn the new
Roman colony. Roman gladiatorial shows were introduced, and
the Herods vied with their masters in Rome in honoring "the
happy Beirut". It was in Beirut that Herod the Great held the
sham trial of his two sons, Alexander and Aristobolus, who were
accused of treason against him, and executed them.
Under the patronage of the Romans a great school of juris-
�36
THE SYRIAN WORLD
prudence arose in Beirut, and became famous all over the world.
It produced some of the greatest celebrities of law in ancient
history. In most probability this school was established in the
3rd century A. D., in the days of Septimius Severus and the "Syrian Emperors" who followed him. Only two other schools of
its kind were considered equal to it, the school in Rome itself
and the one in Constantinople, but that of Beirut was the most
famous of them. Diocletian exempted the students of the law
school of Beirut from taxation, while Justinian used to appoint
personally its five professors corresponding to its five-year course.
Not much different was this school, we gather from a contemporary description, from our colleges of today. And perhaps the first record of "hazing" comes to us from Zacharias
Scholastikos who was a student in that school in the latter part
of the 5th century, a schoolmate of Severus Monophysita, one
of the leaders of the Jacobites of Syria. An interesting excerpt
from the biography of this Severus written by Zacharias Scholastikos is quoted in an article in "al-Machriq" dealing with the
Beirut Law School:
"When I came to Beirut to study law," wrote Zacharias, "I
was mortally afraid of the hazing which the students of the second class, known as the regulars, used to indulge in at the expense of the first year students. These hazings were not of a
harmful nature, but subjected the victims to ridicule before their
fellow students. I was especially afraid of Severus, who became
well known afterwards for his good conduct. I said to myself,
'Severus is an immature boy who will certainly follow the traditions of other students and make fun of me.' But when I entered the school of Laontius the son of Aphdixius, who taught law
and was respected for his excellency, I saw among the students
Severus, sitting at the feet of the professor and wrapt in attention as he listened to his teachings. He not only did not make
fun of me, but rather treated me kindly, and welcomed me with
a smile. And I thanked God for His abundant grace."
Besides being a centre of learning in the period of the Romans, as it is today, Beirut was also a commercial centre, especially for silk, porphyry and wine, which became famous for its
excellence as "Berytia vina". Iron and copper were produced
from the mines of Beirut, and Beirut iron was also famous for
its excellence. Beirut merchants had representatives in the port
cities of Italy and the interior of Europe. But the glory of
Beirut was literally sitting on the crater of a volcano. In a mo-
'
�JUNE, 1927
'"*
37
ment of nature's wrath it was toppled down with a vindictiveness worthy of the jealous gods of Olympos who, it was said,
could not bear the sight of continued human happiness.
Beirut was destroyed by a succession of earthquake shocks
of which the first occurred in 334 A. D., followed by others in
494, 502 and 551. The last of these was also the most severe.
It was related by contemporary observers of that historic earthquake that the waters receded a distance of 2 miles, exposing the
bottom of the sea, where sunken ships lay. Thousands of the inhabitants who rushed to rescue some of the treasures, unmindful
of the impending fate, were buried under the huge mountain
of the on-rushing waters. Thousands more on the shores were
buried in the debris of the shattered buildings. Fire broke in
the wake of the earthquake, and what was not destroyed by the
one was consumed by the other, until Beirut became, in the words
of a contemporary writer, "a heap of ashes and lime."
As if this was not enough, Beirut was visited by two other
earthquakes, one in 554 and one in 560 A. D. No wonder that
a contemporary poet thus lamented her ill-fate.
"Woe to me! I am the most unhappy of the cities of the
world, and the most unfortunate. With my own eyes I beheld
the corpses of my children buried in my court-yards, twice in
nine years. Vulcan hurled me with his burning javelins, after
Neptune had turned against me his terrible tide
O passersby, weep for my misfortune and lament the vanishing glory of
Beirut!"
Not long after, Beirut fell into the hands of the invading
Arabs.
The history of Beirut from that time on became a record
of uneventful days, except for an occasional event which rose
above its monotonous diary. The Umayyad caliph, Mu'awiya,
to fortify Beirut against the enemies of Islam, transported many
Persians to it and the adjoining cities, so that the majority of the
Shi'ites and Mitwalites of Beirut, Jubail, Sidon and environs,
are said to be Persians in origin.
In the twelfth century, Beirut was ruled by a Crusader
nobleman by the name of Foulque de Guines. In the year 1187
Beirut was captured by Saladin, only to return again to the Crusaders after the armistice of 1198, under the rule of Jean d'lbelin.
After the Crusades, Beirut had a checkered fate, but came
somewhat to its own under the rule of the semi-independent
�38
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Ma(ni princes in the 17th century. It was one of the Ma'ni
princes who started the reforestation of Beirut, restoring to the
city some of its former splendor and beauty.
At least in one respect, Beirut has recaptured some of its
former refulgence and glory in the days of the Romans. It is
again the chief seat of learning for the countries of the Near
East. It has three principal colleges, the American University
of Beirut, the St. Joseph College of the Jesuits and the College
Laique. Besides these it has many secondary schools, printing
houses and several daily newspapers. It was the first cradle of
the Arabic Renaissance following the turbulent days of 1860.
The legend of St. George and the Dragon, after which the
St. George Bay of Beirut is called is, of course, a myth which
goes back to that of Perseus and his expedition to procure the
head of the Medusa. But many are the superstitious who still
cling to the belief that St. George actually killed the dragon in
that locality.
FROM THE "KALILA WA DIMNA"
Three things does the man of the world seek which he
cannot attain except by four: He seeks opulence in wealth, station among men, and provision for the other world. As for the
four by which he can attain to these three, they are: Procuring
wealth by the best means possible} good management of the
wealth procured} exploiting this wealth, and, finally, spending
it in improving one's livelihood and in pleasing one's relatives
and friends.
He who approaches kings does not do so for the satisfaction
of his belly, but to please one's friends and spite one's enemies.
People of no ambition are satisfied with little, like a dog
who wags his tail joyously when a dry bone is thrown to him.
He who would stand by the gate of the king must throw
aside dignity, bear humiliation, hold his wrath, be considerate
to his fellowmen and be able to keep a secret.
�-.._.-_:
JUNE, 1927
39
Spring
By
BENJ.
T.
HOFFIZ
Spring has come rejoicing
Our weary hearts with cheer,
In silent speech announcing
Its glory ev'ry year.
The fields avast are teeming
With smiling, greeting flowers,
Arrayed in robes beseeming
Enriched by welcomed show'rs.
The golden rays are streaming
Aslant the live-long day;
Life from the tomb redeeming
Our grief and pain allay.
The waves are gently rolling
Upon the silver lake.
The stream down hillsides rippling
Our slumb'ring souls awake.
The glowing stars are twinkling
A wondrous sight to view,
And evermore are sailing
Afloat the ocean blue.
The birds their songs are ringing
Upon the fragrant air.
Their joyous, daybreak singing
Dispell the gloom of care.
The whole creation's playing
Upon my heart's guitar,
Within my soul intoning
The love of God afar.
�" "*
40
»
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Syrian Schools in Brazil
A random reader of the Arabic papers published in Brazil,
of which there are a dozen or more, would be surprised at a
type of advertisement which is not to be found in the Arabic papers published in the United States.
Now and then he would come across a school advertisement
announcing its opening for the reception of students, the courses
it gives, and the accommodations it affords its boarders. Sometimes one finds no less than three or four advertisements of this
sort in one issue of a paper.
The surprising feature in these advertisements is the fact
that these schools are not Brazilian schools which are bidding
for the patronage of the Syrians, — a thing interesting enough
in itself, — but Syrian schools, founded and run by Syrians. Invariably these advertisements carry the item that this or that
school gives full instruction in the Arabic language by competent
instructors. Almost all these schools are a combination of a
boarding and day schools, which indicates that they attract pupils
from distant places.
Only recently Abu-l-Haul (The Sphinx), S. Paulo, carried the news of the founding of a new Syrian "College" in Oro
Preto, a town about 200 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, by the
"Society of Syrian Youth". The announcement further adds that
"a professor from the government school", an editor of a Brazilian paper, will be on the staff of the new institution, in addition
to two Syrian doctors.
Another school, Gymnasio Syrio Brasileiro, in Araquara,
gives out in its announcement that it is recognized by the government, which sends to it its examining board and grants it certificates. The land for the building of the Gymnasio was donated
by the municipality.
In S. Paulo itself there are a few such schools and institutions, which testifies to the fact that the Syrians have not forgotten their intellectual and cultural needs in their aspiration for
wealth and material success. Chief among' these schools, we are
told, is the "Syrian-Brazilian College", "the oldest boarding
school in S. Paulo", out of which a thousand graduates have already gone out, many of whom, it is said, hold high positions in
the "commercial world".
�JUNE, 1927
41
The "Syrian-Lebanese School" in the same city has passed
its tenth year since its foundation and the second since its conversion into a boarding school. While a third school, the "Modern Syrian School", seriously declares that it cannot receive more
than 200 pupils, and urges Syrian parents who wish to send their
children to it to do so at once, before the stated number is filled.
Night instructions and commercial courses are added in some
instances to the curriculum.
Undoubtedly the primal motive behind these Syrian schools
is one of racial self-preservation j or, looked at from a different
point of view, an opposition to the forces of assimilation. A series
of articles in Abu-l-Haul divides the credit for the conservation
of racial integrity and the opposition "of the stream of assimilation" equally between the Syrian press and the Syrian schools.
Yet; one must not conclude that the Syrians are any less patriotic
and loyal to the Brazilian institutions. A conclusive proof of their
loyalty is afforded in the co-operation which the Syrians have received in building up and developing their institutions of learning from the local Brazilian governments and officials. The author of the articles in Abu-l-Haul refers to the enthusiastic praise
of "high government officials" when speaking of one of these
schools. The Syrians, in trying to preserve their language and
culture, are imitating other nationalities in Brazil, notably the
Germans in the State of S. Catrina.
Brazil is still in the pioneering stage, and its vast undeveloped States are more or less amorphous in their cultural and national constituency. They are where the United States were sixtji
years ago, or even more. It is not inconceivable that sometime
in the future the Brazilian nationality will crystallize into a definite shape, to which the Syrians would look with pride, as it
will undoubtedly represent part of their racial traditions and
culture.
THE ROAD TO BLISS
Said Abdullah Ibn Mubarak, a Mohammedan mystic:
"Hope begets desire, desire begets diligence, diligence begets
reflection over the graces of God, reflection begets gratitude,
gratitude begets knowledge of the source of grace, knowledge
begets the love of God, love of God begets self-denial, selfdenial begets obedience to God, obedience to God begets eternal
bliss."
�wmmaaa
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42
THE SYRIAN WORLD
NOTES AND COMMENTS
By
THE EDITOR
CASTING SHADOWS AHEAD
With this issue THE SYRIAN WORLD completes its first year.
When, at this stage, we look back over the past, we see great
cause for satisfaction j and when we look forward to the future,
we see only reason for hope. We entertain not the slightest
doubt that this hope will materialize inasmuch as every indication tends to prove that it is amply justified.
When we first decided on the publication of THE SYRIAN
WORLD, it was, on our part, a firm conviction of the necessity of
the enterprise, and on the part of some of our friends, a hazardous
business undertaking. We acted on our convictions regardless of
the risks, and it must be now to our doubtful friends, as well as
it is to us, a source of gratification that the first crucial test has
been negotiated safely and that in view of the continuous gains
we are making the future holds for the publication brighter and
more substantial hopes.
In its physical appearance, THE SYRIAN WORLD has elicited
favorable comment both as to size and as to typographical arrangement. It is in the conventional, accepted book size and the
type is beautiful and clear. Master craftsmen may still be able
to detect in the general makeup and the carrying out of technical
details room for improvement, and this we shall bend every effort to overcome, notwithstanding our limited facilities.
But where we believe we have news of genuine interest to
impart to our readers is in the realm of the subject matter of the
publication—in what we are planning to continue or to introduce
of the different departments and features, and in what we are
promised by way of support and collaboration in the literary field
by our best talent both in America and abroad.
Concerning the subject matter in the past, our files contain
hundreds of unsolicited testimonials bearing on the fact that the
magazine proved to those readers of much higher quality than
they had expected. In view of this expressed satisfaction, it would
be possible for us to rest on our laurels and simply make the plain
promise of continuing the publication as formerly. But with
�JUNE, 1927
43
that we are not content. It is our plan and firm purpose to make
it in the coming year still better and to continue the improvement
to the limit of our ability and resources.'
Here are some of the concrete promises we are in a position
to make to our readers covering distinctive features for the coming year:
By special arrangement with the editors of "Al-Kulliyyah,"
the official Arabic organ of the American University of Beirut,
articles prepared by the Professors of the University for translation into Arabic and publication in "Al-Kulliyyah" will be sent
to us in their English original for publication in THE SYRIAN
WORLD. We cannot sufficiently stress to our readers the significance of this arrangement, but they may well expect a series of
articles on the most interesting literary, historical, educational,
and scientific subjects such as only the learned professors of that
great educational institution in our mother country can prepare.
For this arrangement we are grateful to our friend and countryman Mr. Shahadi Shahadi, the able manager of our sister publication, "Al-Kulliyyah".
Another big feature that we can promise our readers for
the coming year is the great play by the American author Harry
Chapman Ford called "Anna Ascends" whose scene was laid in
the Syrian quarter in New York depicting the virtue, the industry
and the great intelligence and capability of the Syrian immigrant
girl. The famous American stage and screen star, Alice Brady,
acted the role of the Syrian heroine in this play when it was
produced in New York a few years ago. The play teems with
scenes of gripping dramatic interest. The story was never before published and every Syrian young man and young woman
should know of the struggles and the achievements of the brave
Anna and of the climax of her love affair with the scion of one
of the wealthiest American New York families.
Ibn El-Khoury has promised a continuation of his series
of highly interesting folk stories on Lifd in Lebanon.
Dr. Philip K. Hitti, our eminent historian, stands pledged
to contribute as many articles this coming year as he has last
year. He will also answer all questions on the history of Syria
that our readers wish to ask, and we invite them to take advantage of this singular opportunity.
Barbara Webb Bourjaily, a well-known American magazine
and newspaper writer and wife of one of our countrymen, will
write a progressive series of articles on books and their compara-
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44
THE SYRIAN WORLD
tive values, designed especially to help the mother in training
the minds of her children. She will also discuss and review standard classics and contemporary books and give helpful advice on
how to get the most benefit and pleasure from your reading.
The present series of The Famous Cities of Syria will be
continued, and the interrupted series on the principal Religions
of Syria will be resumed.
We shall give more of hitherto unpublished Arabian Nights'
Stories and selections from the Arabic on wit, wisdom and humor.
And what, finally, we are most happy in promising is that
all our former contributors and collaborators will be as generous
in their support in the future as they have been in the past. From
abroad we shall continue to hear from Ameen Rihani and from
Count Philip Terrazi and others, and from America we are promised frequent contributions from Gibran K. Gibran, Dr. Salim
Y. Alkazin, M. Naimy, Dr. N. A. Katibah, Dr. F. I. Shatara,
Rev. W. A. Mansur and many others.
SYRIAN PHILANTHROPY
It has been the contention of some critics that the Syrian
immigrants were too materialistic—all too absorbed in their efforts
to amass wealth as to preclude from their minds any thought of
philanthropy. This may have been true in a limited sense and
under certain conditions at a particular time. The impecunious
Syrian immigrant, at the time he was struggling to make a living
and bending every effort towards establishing himself on a financial footing, could not be expected to give much of the little he
then had towards charity. And we should remember that there
was a time when all Syrians could be classed in that category,
and that this time is not so distant.
But now that a large number of Syrians have passed the
struggling stage and that many of them have, through their intense industry and business acumen, come into comfortable fortunes, we find that their better natures are beginning to assert
themselves. We may safely claim now that we have reached
the stage where we have lost sight of our initial motives in emigrating and are beginning to respond more readily to our higher
impulses in our conception of the true aims of life.
The generous action of the brothers Abdallah and Simon
Barsa and of George Mouacad and Abdallah Khiyata in found-
�i
JUNE, 1927
45
ing two orphanages in their native city of Damascus is a good
indication of the present turn of mind of the prosperous Syrian
immigrant. This is by no means the first act of philanthropy
on record on the part of our people that it could be taken as an
indication of the inaugural of a new era. Similar acts of charity
on a large scale are known to have taken place before, although
no large benefaction can go farther back than five years.
Of orphanages, two are known to exist in America supported
and maintained by Syrians. One is in the United States and
was founded and is being maintained by the Rt. Rev. Archbishop
Aftimios of the Greek Orthodox Church and is open to Syrian
orphans of all denominations; while the other is in Brazil and
was made possible by the philanthropy of a single individual,
Bechara Meherdawi, a native of Horns and one of the prominent
Syrian merchants of that country.
Another illustration of the new turn of affairs is the fact
that the alumni association of the American University of Beirut
has succeeded, in the course of three years, to raise, in the United
States alone, a fund of $150,000 for the establishment of scholarships and the rehabilitation of the Oriental department of the
library of the University.
One could hardly cite the above illustrations without mentioning the many other acts of benevolence which the Syrian immigrants have done both individually and collectively. During
the World War the Syrians of the United States sent contributions to their suffering relatives conservatively estimated at $2,500,000. It is a well-known fact that the principal revenue of
Mt. Lebanon is from the remittances of its emigrant sons, and
Syria in general shares in the liberality of the emigrants to no
little degree. America has been the first port of call for all
seekers of financial aid from the motherland, and the emigrants
have been the supports of not only many a home, but of many
a religious and educational institution. They have responded
generously to every deserving appeal for assistance from abroad,
and their latest grand response was at the time the recent Syrian revolution laid waste many a town and left in its wake great
suffering and destitution. In the course of but a few months
an amount estimated at about a quarter of a million dollars was
sent to Syria and Lebanon, of which about $50,000 in cash and
$100,000 in clothing and other material was raised through the
campaign launched by Al-Hoda, the Syrian daily paper of New
York.
�°r IfT—Yiif-'--' ^ ^^^^i^ttMMi
,
46
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Considering the limited number of Syrians in the United
States, this display of generosity speaks well for their benevolent
proclivities especially when we take in consideration the fact that
only recently have they become financially independent and that
their earliest immigration hardly goes back farther than the second generation.
THE SYRIANS IN POLITICS
A correspondent writes that Americans resent the intrusion
of the foreign-born into the precincts of that sacred American
institution, "Politics". We wonder how many of our readers
agree with him in this view. The greatest privilege of the American citizen is the right to express his free opinion through the
ballot which would mean that he is conscious of his obligations
and privileges as a citizen. Consequently, those who assume a
passive attitude towards "Politics" are branded as slackers and
undesirables. How is it possible to reconcile the two viewpoints?
In a recent radio speech by Senator-elect Robert F. Wagner
of New York he is reported to have urged that Americans of
foreign birth give to their adopted land the benefit of their
background and training by entering public life. Every opportunity except the Presidency, he said, is open to them and the
environment of a new land should have the stimulating effect
to bring success.
"It is not at all necessary," Senator Wagner further said,
"for you to erase the elements of a foreign culture or a foreign
civilization that you have acquired during the years of life in
your native land. You are free to retain and develop it. All
that the American people ask of you is that you enter the American life wholeheartedly with understanding and sympathy."
"Never forget," he also said, "that the people who came on
the Mayflower were not native Americans. What those people
saw before them was a vast country, rich in a form of wealth
which was the most desirable on earth. It was rich in opportunities. Then and there this nation was dedicated to the proposition
that opportunity shall never become the private possession of
any one class or family."
Here is a direct, unmistakable invitation to enter "Politics".
It is only an interpretation of the Constitution itself. How, then,
can it be claimed that "Politics" are forbidden grounds to the
foreign-born?
�JUNE, 1927
47
Spirit of The Syrian Press
Under this caption we hope to present from time to time a microcoamic picture of the Arabic press, not only in this country, but wherever
Arabic dailies and magazines reflect the opinions of responsible, thinking
writers who are treating the different problems that confront the Arabicapeaking world from all conceivable angles. Needless to say, we will take
no part in the discussions reproduced, nor assume any responsibility. Our
task will simply consist in selecting, to the best of our knowledge and
with utmost sincerity, what we think is representative of the public opinion as expressed in these editorials.
Editor.
REASON FOR OBJECTION TO
UNITY
When we sent to the League of
Nations, in our capacity of editor
of "Al-Hoda" and president of the
Lebanon League of Progress, a protest against the proposed amalgamation of Lebanon with Syria we suggested as a solution the creation of
a form of government for Lebanon
in which the governor would be elected for life, following the lines of the
Eastern Patriarchates and the Papacy. This reference was misconstrued
by some supposedly intelligent people to mean that we are demanding
a government based on an ecclesiastical system. This misinterpretation
of our plain statement is either rank
idiocy or sheer viciousness. It is
evident even to a child that what we
meant is that tenure of office should
be for life without the right of succession. But this outburst only shows
the temper of the people abroad and
how they still lack the moral courage
to admit the truth. It ia mainly for
this characteristic that we maintain
that even the Lebanese, who are admittedly the brain of the East, are
not yet fit for independence. A governor, therefore, elected for life who
would be secure in his; office on that
account, and who would rise above
the petty differences of the natives
because of his foreign origin, is
the logical solution of Lebanon's administrative problem.
Under existing conditions, and
while Syria is seething with religious venom, it is dangerous to advocate the union of Lebanon with,
Syria. Such a union will not be advisable and practicable until the
religious and political leaders are
divested of their prestige and the
advocates of union are free from
any ulterior motive in the promotion
of such a move. As things now
stand, all those clamoring for this
union do so from purely fanatical
motives and undisguised hatred. We
should/ all know that the French are
much better to the Lebanese than
any of their neighbors.
Al-Hoda, N Y., May 13, 1927.
THEY SPARE THE EGG
AND STEAL THE CAMEL
The League of Nations! An organization that is full of good and
full of evil. Whatever good it has
is all reserved for the great colonizing Powers; and whatever evil it
�—
48
has it all directed to the weak Eastern nations—rather, to all Eastern
nations, weak or strong.
It is a league of coveteousness
and hypocrisy through which the
strong grab what they are ashamed
to take openly and by force. They
use it to cloak their insidious propaganda in the name of charity, justice and peace, and other high re•ounding words.
We read today in the news dispatches a ridiculous item that the
League has refunded to Mr. Rockefeller 3 francs and 15 centimes of
the sum he had donated to it because
it exceeded its necessities... The
League is anxious to give proof of
its scrupulous honesty in handling
its accounts. The unfortunate part,
however, is that its honesty is only
confined to francs and centimes.
It spares the egg, but does not
hold any scruples, on the other hand,
in swallowing the camel, nay, the
whole caravan!
It returns to Rockefeller three
francs but looks with equanimity on
its members swallowing countries
entire—including men and beasts,
land and rivers; all what is above
and what is below.
Deliver us, 0 Lord, from the robbers who are disguised in hermits'
attire!
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y.,May 17,1927
MANDATES ARE NECESSARY
Suppose we admit, for the sake of
argument, that the French mandate
should be terminated in Syria, does
that carry the implication that the
English mandate, or occupation,
should also be terminated in Palestine, Iraq, Egypt and India; or is it
only a subterfuge on the part of
the so-called nationalists to clamor
for independence as an end in itself
THE SYRIAN WORLD
while they would be under the influence of religious fanaticism and
sectarian motives?
Mandates are not only political
but religious as well. Suppose we
drive out the Jesuits, the Americans
and the English from our universities and schools in Lebanon and the
East in general, what would we
have left of the means of education
and progress?
And if there should be anything
left, for how many years would it
last?
What would become of our printing establishments, libraries, dictionaries and works of original authorship and of translations? What
would become of our orphanages?
With what brazen-faced insolence
could we say to our benefactors:
"Leave us the best you have and
begone from our country, you Westerners!"
Suppose that the Americans who
are now in the American University
of Beirut were to return to their
country and leave the Syrians and
Lebanese in possession of that institution, and that these newcomers
should appeal for assistance in carrying out the work of the university
to their brother Easterners from
China to the Bosphorus, what would
be the resources at their command?
It is sheer ignorance combined
with the rankest kind of bigotry on
our part to deny the benefactions of
the Westerners Who have reiterated
their assurances to us in unmistakable terms that they are educating
us in matters political as they hava
brought us up in matters educational, so that as soon as we prove our
ability at independent government
without danger to ourselves and the
world, they will leave us to ourselves
and return to their own countries.
Al-Hoda, N. Y., May 20, 1927.
�1
RELICS OF OLD BEIRUT
Gateway to the confines of the Mosque of As-Sur, or the section of the
old city wall, showing the congested nature of the locality.
��JUNE, 1927
PRANCE AS PROTECTOR
OF THE CHRISTIANS
We are aware that!France did not
come to this country to give preference to one faction over the other.
Rather, we and every one else are
positive that France only came to
free the country from the bondage
of ignorance and intolerance and to
guide it in the road to progress. She
has not come, as some Christian papers assert, to protect the Christtians, because that would infer that
the Christians are persecuted, while
in truth they are not.
What is at the bottom of the
situation is the promotion of personal interests. Whenever some unforseen impediment obstructs the
smooth carrying out of a certain
policy, then they resort to the excuse of religion. It is, therefore,
necessary that we should not lose
sight of the main motive prompting
these excuses because religion in itself is not taken in consideration.
The strange thing is that it is only
in the East that religion is resorted
to as an excuse, and while the matter in itself is obvious, we wonder
that there still remains in the East
people who profess ignorance of the
true facts.
Al-Balagh, Beirut.
THE SOPHISTRY OF INERTIA
One of the most harmful conceptions prevalent amongst us is the
supposition that Syria cannot be independent simply because it had not
been independent before; and that
in so far as it cannot be independent
it becomes imperative for it to be
under mandate; and that as long as
a mandate is necessary she has no
other alternative than to submit to
the mandate under which she now is.
To submit to an existing condition
for no reason other than that it
49
exists indicates a contorted conception of philosophy on the part of
those whose souls have lost the light
of feeling and desire. It is a rank
shame that some should continue
to crawl in the dark caves of bondage and slavery which are as putrid
as tombs. Only those who are dead
abhor power, light and beauty.
Meraat-Ul-Gharb, N.Y., May 19,1927
TO ACHIEVE REFORM
Many are the corrupt leaders in
Lebanon.
In Lebanon there are leaderships
of ignorance, of assumption, of "inherited rights" and of vain conceit
—all of which is productive of evil
and not of good.
When this array of leaders was
burning incense and kowtowing to
the ground before the Turkish tyrants, the Lebanon League of Progress of New York was demanding,
even before the war, the same measure of reform that it is demanding
now, with the exception of a few
modifications in the details.
The proposition that we wish now
to put forward for bringing to an
end the present chaotic condition in
Lebanon is that the Maronite Patriarch call a convention of the titular heads of all religious sects in
the country, be they Christian or
Mohammedan, and there formulate
demands to be presented directly to
the French Government on the understanding that no other power but
France is wanted as a mandatory.
Al-Hoda, N. Y., May 16, 1927.
A REVOLUTION AGAINST
INDOLENCE
How sterile was the revolution
which shot its tongues of fire in the
Druze Mountain. Rather, how ignorant and how unpatriotic were those
who started it for having exposed
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50
the country to ruin without any commensurate benefit.
The revolution which should take
place in Syria and which should not
stop until it had achieved its aims
is a revolution against the germs
of laziness and indolence which has
attained such epidemic proportions
that through it, and not through the
armed revolution, the life of the
country is in danger.
It is an epidemic of the gravest
nature. Its greatest and latest symptom is in the fact that the people of
Syria have been frightened out of
their wits by the influx of Armenian
immigration. To us this should be
construed as a salutary sign in that
it carries the possibility of putting
an end to the disease of laziness in
Syria.
The Syrians leave their country
of their own free will, while the Armenians come to it under compulsion. The former loath to work in
their own country and emigrate to
lands where they submit to all kinds
of indignities and hardships, while
the latter find in that same deserted
country an ample field for productive effort comparable to what the
willing Syrians find in their lands
of immigration.
What can be the secret of this
state of affairs? Can it be other
than that laziness and indolence
have taken mortal hold on the life
of the people of Syria?
As-Sayeh, N. Y., May 16, 1927.
DELINEATING THE
REVOLUTION
It is incontestable that the Revolution is of Druze and Hauranian
origin, as it is an unquestionable
fact that Lebanon did not join in the
Revolution.
It is also beyond argument that
the outlaws have been and remain
THE SYRIAN WORLD
Druzes, joined later by some Mohammedans, and that no Christian
affiliated himself with the rebel
bands with the exception of a few
who were bought over by Druze
money in the same manner they
have bought some Christian newspapers. And it may well be remembered that these funds were collected from Christian sources.
It is therefore evident that the
revolution is purely a Druze revolution, Lebanon and the Lebanese not
having the slightest connection with
it in so far as Lebanon is not Syria
and in appreciation of the fact that
it remains independent as it haa
been for all past time.
Those who are bending their efforts to include Lebanon in Syria
are only the traitors, the ingrates
and the fanatics whose only concern
is to crush Lebanon so as to reduce
it to the state of servility that will
be compatible with their own smallness of soul. "On us and on them,
0 Lord!"
Al-Hoda, N. Y., May 19, 1927.
WHAT SYRIA NEEDS AND
FRANCE DOESN'T GIVE
The difference between the English
and the French in the business of
government is that the former give
the governed what is best suited to
their temperamental fitness and disposition. They try, for instance, to
make of the Iraqi a better Iraqi
than he is, and of the Indian a better Iidian than he is with no attempt
to transform or interfere with the
character, customs and traditions of
each. While the French are wont
to transform Syria or Lebanon or
Jebel Druze overnight into a second
Paris, embarking all the while on
new experiments which only bring
losses to themselves and to the people governed. Lisan-Ul-Hal, Beirut.
�JUNE, 1927
51
About Syria and Syrians
N. T. SYRIANS FOUND
ORPHANAGES IN SYRIA
An interesting and cheerful bit of
news is that published in "Al-Hoda"
of May 14. It is in the form of a
letter from the Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Bernardos Ghosn, pastor of the
Greek Melchite Church in Manhattan, in which he announces that the
Holy Father had conferred the order of the Great Cross on four prominent Syrian merchants of New York
in recognition of their philanthropy
for having founded two orphanages,
one for boys and the other for girls,
in their native city of Damascus.
The medals were pinned on the
breasts of the four recipients in a
fitting ceremony at the Cardinal's
residence by the Rt. Rev. Bishop
Dunn.
Archimandrite Ghosn, in bis communication, gives some interesting
details about the four Syrian benefactors and their work. He announces
their names as the brothers Abdallah and Simon Barsa who founded
the institution for the boys, and
George Mouacad and Abdallah Khiyata who founded the institution for
the girls. In both cases the donors
provided the orphanage establishments with all the equipment of a
modern school so that the immates
may receive the proper industrial
training that will enable them to
gain an independent living upon release.
Archimandrite Ghosn gives the
further information that the donors
cloaked their action in secrecy in order to evade undue publicity which
was not a part of their motives in
founding the institutions. His Beatitude the Patriarch Kyrellos X of
the Greek Melchite Church of Syria
was instrumental, 'however, in bringing their generous action to the attention of the Pope who saw fit to
recognize their munificence by the
bestowal of the decorations.
THE LEBANESE AS
TRADE PIONEERS
The pioneering spirit of the Lebanese in venturing far into unexplored territory in quest of trade
is, according to "Ar-Raqib" of Tripoli, Syria, best illustrated by some
Lebanese merchants in Africa who
were the first to venture into the
heart of wildest Africa and open a
trade route with the territory bordering on Lake Chad. The paper
makes this comment anent a dispatch
from Paris announcing the successful trip of a trade caravan which
started from Tunis to Lake Chad
and returned safely with a precious
load of ivory and pelts. The account
the paper gives of the experiences
of the early Lebanese traders who
ventured so far into the heart of
black Africa is an epic of daring
well worthy of the adventurous spirit of the descendents of the Phoenicians.
The first white men to enter the
city of Kano, in the heart of Nigeria, we are told, were the late
Azar Joseph Bichara of the town
of Mizyara, Northern Lebanon, and
Joseph Bitar of the town of Deir-elKamar, Southern Lebanon, who made
the pioneer trip merely for trade
purposes over twenty-two years ago.
The start of their journey was from
the city of Lagos and they spent en
�52
route seven weeks beset with the
gravest dangers from Africans and
wild beasts. They spent in Kano six
months during which they established the most pleasant relations of
friendship with the chiefs of the
Blacks and made a profitable exchange of their wares which consisted mainly of bead ornaments and
perfumes. Upon their return to
Lagos the British authorities learned
of their exploit and immediately sent
a military expedition to occupy the
city of Kano which is said to have
a population of over a million souls
and is fortified by a high wall of
unbaked brick. The English fired
only one gun and the city surrendered to them.
Some fifteen years ago, the paper
further informs us, a company of
Lebanese merchants composed of
Joseph Rahid, Mohsen Rahid and
Azar Joseph Bichara, all of the town
of Mizyara, equipped another expedition and started from Kano to Lake
Chad, a distance of sixty days of
hard travel in the wildest kind of
country. They had over a hundred
and fifty natives carrying their
goods while they traveled on horseback heavily armed. On the way
they had several encounters with
fierce lions but were able to reach
their destination safely and upon
their return had a valuable quantity
of ivory, ostrich feathers and leather
dyed in a most beautiful and permanent red color. They repeated the
exploit several times thereafter.
PROTECTING THE CHRISTIANS
On April 17 the Emir Said Abdelkader of Damascus paid a visit to
the Maronite Patriarch in acknowledgement of his gratitude at the action of the latter for having sent a
THE SYRIAN WORLD
delegation of Maronite bishops to
thank the Emir for the solicitude he
displayed for the safety of the
Christians in Damascus during the
riots accompanying the latest outbreak in the country. This Emir i9
a scion of the famous Algerian Abdelkader family whose grandfather
fought the French in his country for
over fifteen years and when he finally had to surrender was exiled to
Syria where, in the massacres of
1860, he opened his house as an asylum of refuge to the Christians, and
saved through his personal intercession hundreds of Christian lives.
The Christian papers of Syria and
Lebanon report this exchange of
courtesies between Emir and Patriarch as a proof of good will among
the leaders of the two religions, but
the Mohammedan papers resent the
imputation that the Christians were
ever in need of protection and brand
the Emir as a meddling outsider who
is trying to make political capital
of the situation for the promotion of
his own ambition to become a king
over Syria.
ELECTRICITY IN ZAHLE
To the many immigrant sons of
Zahle, known by the affectionate appelative of the "Bride of Lebanon,"
it must be of interest to learn that
for the first time in history their
city is now illuminated by electricity
generated from the waterfalls of
the river Bardouni. "Zahle-Al-Fatat", the town paper, reports that
the inauguration of the service took
place amid scenes of great rejoicing
as this means a great influx of tourists and summer residents, especially
that the city can boast of a large
number of first class hotels built
mostly by enterprising returning
emigrants.
i
�'53
JUNE, 1927
MOTOR ROUTES ACROSS
THE SYRIAN DESERT
By Paul Knabenshue,
American Consul, Beirut.
At the present time three companies are operating passenger routes
between Beirut and Baghdad, and one
of these, the Nairn Eastern Transport Co., also maintains a biweekly
service between Baghdad and Teheran. The Nairn Eastern Transport
Co. is controlled by British and
French capital; the other two companies, which are of less importance,
are owned and/ managed by Syrians.
In addition to these established companies there are numerous independent chauffeurs operating more or
less regular passenger service between Beirut and Baghdad.
Originally the Nairn Transport
Co. followed the route Beirut—Damascus—Rutbah—Baghdad, but the
use of this route was interrupted for
over a year by the Syrian nationalist revolution. During the greater
part of this period the Nairn Co.
followed the route Jerusalem—Amman—Rutbah—Baghdad. With the
improvement in the political situation in Syrian territory the various
transport companies commenced the
use of the road via Beirut—Tripoli—
Horns—Palmyra—Rutbah—Baghdad,
and this was followed until about the
middle of December , 1926, when
conditions became such that it was
deemed possible again to follow the
route Damascus—Rutbah—Baghdad,
which is the shortest one between
Beirut and Iraq.
About February 1, however, as a
result of the appearance of bands of
marauding Bedouins, the road between Damascus and Rutbah was
again considered unsafe. It was
planned to go from Damascus to
Palmyra and from there to Rutbah
and Baghdad; but about this time
heavy snows fell in the Lebanon
Mountains, which lie between Beirut
and Damascus, and it became necessary to take the route Beirut—Tripoli—Homs—Palmyra—R utba h—
Baghdad. Now, however, the snows
have melted considerably, and beginning with the Nairn convoy leaving Beirut on March 10, the road
Damascus—Palmyra — Rutbah —
Baghdad will be followed.
During the past two months all
transport companies have experienced considerable difficulties between
Beirut and Baghdad because of the
poor condition of the routes. The
roads between Beirut and Damascus
are good and generally quite practicable for automobiles except occasionally when there is snow in the
passes of the Lebanon Mountains.
From either Damascus or Homs,
however, there is nothing but open
desert, no proper roads of any type
being available. Naturally these
trails become almost impassable
during the rainy season, and it is
not unusual for cars to be mired for
two or three days at a time.
("Commerce Reports", May 9, 1927.)
THE LEBANON FLAG
ON THE
SEAS
The Arabic press of Beirut, capital of Mt. Lebanon, reports that
about the middle of April a number
of Lebanese chartered the steamer
Braga for a cruise in the Mediterranean for about a week, intending
to visit the island of Cyprus, Egypt
and some nearby ports. Out of courtesy to the travelers, the captain of
the steamer raised the Lebanese flag
on the main mast all during the
cruise and in that manner entered
many English ports. This pleased
�54
THE SYRIAN WORLD
of these Druze women which, coming from a Druze, may be considered fairly authentic and indicative of
the spirit of this race. Among his
most salient points are the following:
"Among the Syrian women married to Druzes in the United States
only two divorces are recorded, one
divorcee being Druze by birth and
DRUZE WOMEN IN THE U. S. A.
the other Christian; but among the
In conformity with Mohammedan American women married to Druzes
customs, Druze women shun appear- the divorces are many for reasons
ing in public to the extent that when unknown. All that is known, howit becomes necessary for them to do ever, is that those of the American
so they invariably appear heavily women who remain living with their
veiled. This custom of seclusion has Druze husbands are happy and contaken so much hold on the social life tented and have come to learn and
of the people that it became a tradi- adopt a great many of the Druze
tional observance that women could customs.
not migrate. In the code of ethics
"There is not a single woman of
of most Orientals, especially those purely Druze descent, i. e., born of
of the Mohammedan faith, for a parents who are both Druzes, who
woman to appear in public unac- has married outside of her religion.
companied is taken as a sign of
"It is possible for us to affirm that
unwholesome manners, much more the Druze women in the United
her leaving her country and her fa- States have created a home atmother's or her husband's house. For sphere that is of the best. Not one
this reason it has been the general of these women but is faithful to
belief that Druze women in America her husband and her home duties
were extremely few in number.
and is bringing up her children in
It is learned, however, from a let- conformity with the highest racial
ter published in "Al-Bayan", a Druze standards.
publication in New York, under the
"One of the strangest things about
signature of Mr. Rashid Slim, him- these Druze women is that they are
self a Druze, that there are now in strict observers of their religious
the United States no less than 80 customs just as if they were within
Druze women of whom 63 are mar- the precincts of their places of worried and 17 unmarried. The latter ship in their home towns.
are mainly engaged in seeking an
"The Druze woman does not
education in American schools. He
further informs us that there are squander her money on useless cosfour Syrian Christian women mar- metics. On the contrary, she reried to Druzes, and that of the stricts her purchases to necessary
Druzes in the United States who are and conventional clothing as befits
married to American women there every woman of high breeding and
are no less than 125. Naturally, these genuine culture. Nor does she spend
American women are all Christians. her time at the frivolities of theaThe writer then proceeds to give tres and places of mirth. This pricecertain statistics and information as less jewel with which she is adorned
to the moral standing and home life is acquired through her religious
the Lebanese nation immensely and
the press of Beirut reflected this
jubiliation and hailed the incident as
an omen of the return to Lebanon
of the maritime glory it enjoyed
during the time of the Phoenicians.
�-—-
—
JUNE, 1927
55
teachings, good breeding and the number of the Syrians and Lebanesa
in the Argentine Republic.
solid worth of Druze principles.
According to the statement of this
"In consideration of the above menpaper,
the number of the Syrian and
tioned virtues of the Druze woman
Lebanese
colony in the city of Buewe are publishing these remarks that
nos
Aires
itself exceeds 30,000, while
they may serve as an inducement
in
the
whole
Republic it is conservato Druze young men to return to
tively
estimated
at 160,000. The paSyria and there choose mates of
their own race in an effort to pre- per proceeds to say that the Syrians
serve the integrity and conserve the are given mostly to commercial purpurity of their stock in vindication suits and recommends the diverting
of the old adage that 'the tree finds of their attention to other lines of
true sympathy only from its own endeavor and exhorts to a more collective interest in the affairs of the
bark.'"
nation.
Conceding that the above figures
are
correct, the Syrians of Buenos
A JOURNALISTIC INNOVATION
Aires would be in far greater numWith its issue of May 14, "Mera- ber than the Syrians of New York
at-Ul-Gharb", an Arabic daily of whose number is variously estimatNew York, began publishing a page ed at between twenty and twentyin English. In its editorial announce- five thousands, and they are admitment of this policy, the paper states tedly the largest single group of
that " 'Meraat-Ul-Gharb' wishes the Syrians in any city of the United
whole world to know that it is the States.
first to supply this growing demand.
We believe that the step is epochal
in the history of the Syrian community of America. ***** Where FORERUNNER OF A
NATIONAL SPIRIT
we will land it is idle for us now to
speculate, but we feel it in our
The Beirut correspondent of "Albones that we are taking a step in
Basir," an Arabic paper of Alexanthe right direction."
dria, Egypt, reports that the ChristIn its explanation of this step in
ian students in the Law School of
its Arabic section, "Meraat-UlDamascus invited forty brother stuGharb" expresses the hope that its
dents of the Mohammedan faith on
subscribers will increase by at least
the occasion of Easter and made
a thousand "so that we may be
merry with them in true brotherly
able to carry on the expense of this
spirit. During the course of the fesnewspaper."
tivities, both Mohammedans and
SYRIANS IN ARGENTINA
In a leading article on the necessity of the Syrians co-operating more
effectively with the people of the
land,
"Al-Ettehad
Al-Lubnani"
(Buenos Aires) mentions incidentally some interesting facts as to the
Christians made addresses emphasizing the necessity of effacing all
traces of past feuds in the hope that
the new generation will grow up under the influence of the principles of
true democracy and tolerance. They
hope that this spirit will spread
rapidly as its effect on the country
is of incalculable benefit.
�THE SYRIAN WORLD
Readers' Forum
SYRIANS IN AMERICA
Editor Syrian World:
When the founders of this great
nation flung their banner before the
world they unanimously agreed that
one of the principal tenets upon
which they would stand would be
tolerance. But today, in a land that
promised tolerance to men of any
religious creed or political belief,
we often wonder if there is such a
thing. To those of us who left the
beliefs and traditions of several
thousand years behind us; who left
the land of Lebanon, when, like the
Sword of Damocles, the Crescent
was ever a menace; and who came
to the haven of the oppressed; and
who did not find the toleration we
expected, I would like to give some
of my own observations.
I have traveled a great deal in
the South. I have been to places
where they did not know Where Syria
was, or ever saw a Syrian, and I
find the manner in which America
receives one is more or less dependent upon one's self. It is not only
the Syrians but all foreigners.
Most of the Syrians are in some
kind of business, and, naturally,
when they are interested solely in
their pocket, they cannot expect to
be looked up to in their community.
But, on the other hand, when they
try to better themselves mentally,
and take an active interest in the
welfare of their fellowmen and community, then they will achieve that
quality which marks every American
as an American. We can get no
more out of life than what we put
into it. If we attempt to maintain
the clannishness of our fathers we
cannot expect
to be tolerated as
they who enter into the spirit of
America. It is not entirely necessary
to sacrifice our ideals to achieve
Americanism. There is, I must admit,
a class who resent the intrusion of
any foreigner into the sacred portals of that American institution,
"Politics". But do not judge America as a whole by this class.
Someone has said there is a little
good in the worst of. us, and a little
bad in the best of us. In a nation
that is often called the melting pot,
the dross must, of necessity, come
out. To us Syrian-Americans who
feel that we have been maligned by
our neighbors, let me say this: First,
let us put our own house in order.
America asks only that you meet
her at the halfway point. She neither asks all, nor gives all. She will
do for us what she has done for
others. But she must have our cooperation and assistance, or neither
will be benefited. Enter into the
spirit of her traditions and institutions. Do not attempt to live for
yourself alone. In this land of
plenty there is enough for all.
Joseph Mawod.
Dallas, Texas.
THE RACE IS RESPECTED
Editor Syrian World:
It is regrettable that anyone finding himself in difficulties with his
neighbors should give expression to
his feelings in print and c,aim that
the whole race is despised or looked
down upon. To me it is a case of
personality and locality. Individual
cases cannot be taken as an indication of the prevalence of a general
�ALICE BRADY
->:•; * ^
AS THE SYRIAN HEROINE IN "ANNA ASCENDS"
�A SCENE FROM "ANNA ASCENDS"
The meeting of Howard and Anna in the Syrian Restaurant of Said Coury.
The result?
�JUNE, 1927
condition. Through experience I
know that the Syrians are highly
respected for many good qualities
and I believe that we should boost
and not knock. Pessimism and dissatisfaction never lead to any constructive results. Agitators are never popular and the optimists and
workers for law and order are always
welcome. Let us try not to breed
discord.
Syrians came to America in search
of opportunities. Let us look around
us and see if they did; not find what
'57.
they sought. We have found freedom and wealth and means for intellectual advancement. The principles upon which the American government was founded have not
changed. Lincoln said that the nation was dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal, and
equal we are, and we should not
delude ourselves into the belief that
we are not.
Samuel Peters.
Los Angeles, al.
Political Developments in Syria
Several months have now elapsed
since M. Ponsot, the French High
Commissioner for Syria, returned to
Paris for, an announced stay of only
a few weeks. There are, at present,
no authentic indications as to when
he will return. The latest report
published in the Syrian papers intimates that his stay in Paris will be
extended for another month or more.
Some had at first attributed his delay
to his intention of marrying before
his return, but it now seems that
the business of putting things in
Syria in order and providing the
country with a suitable and stable
form of government requires more
reflection and preparation than any
such formidable thing as the embarkation on the sea of matrimony.
But, withal, what was at first characterized as serene, methodical and
unhurried activity on the part of M.
Ponsot is being now interpreted as
undue delay due, perhaps, to incapacity.
All that/ can be gathered from the
Syrian papers is that M. Ponsot is
determined to return only when his
whole program for administrative
reform in Syria is approved by the
Government and he is given full
power to carry it out. What sounds
like a plausible rumor is that the
work of M. Ponsot in Paris will
take another month.
Meanwhile, the political situation
in Syria is as chaotic as ever. In
Damascus the provisional government is tottering and there are everpropping rumors that this minister
or the other intends to resign. While
in Mt. Lebanon there occured a genuine ministerial crisis which caused
the fall of the government. It came
in a test of strength when a certain
faction insisted on demanding a vote
of confidence, following an ultimatum
served on the government, setting a
specific date for a reply, on tihe carrying out of a provision of administrative reform. The original proposition was that Parliament favored
the reduction of the Ministeries from
�58
eight to four for reasons of economy.
The fall of the government was
brought about even in the absence
of the Prime Minister August Pasha
Adib, who is in Paris negotiating
the settlement of the Turkish prewar debts and the shara of Lebanon
in them.
What was construed by the Syrian press as a political occurrence
of prime importance was the address of the Maronite Patriarch to
the Admiral and officers of the
French fleet upon the occasion of
their visit to the Patriarchate see in
Bekorki. The formal speech of the
Patriarch, supplemented later with
informal remarks uttered with great
feeling, is reported to have criticized
the policy of the French administration in Syria and Lebanon and to
have expressed disappointment over
the manner in which the French
were handling the situation. The
Patriarch reminded his visitors of
his efforts to have the mandate over
Syria granted to the French and
that in case they should continue to
show their present lack of deference
to the interests of their friends the
complaint would be carried to Paris.
The principal grievance is that the
Christians of Southern Lebanon who
bore the brunt of the revolutionists'
attack and had their villages sacked
and burned while untold cruelties
and sufferings were visited on them,
and all for their loyalty to France,
are being pursued by the authorities
with all manner of persecution while
perpetrators of destruction and murder are being freed and allowed to
return to their homes or appointed
to government offices to enjoy the
booty they had stolen from the
Christians. And as if not content
with this grave injustice, the authorities are levying arms on the
unfortunate Christian sufferers of
the revolution, and where the arms
THE SYRIAN WORLD
are not collectable they are exacting
payment of their value in gold.
It is reported that some high Lebanese and French functionaries made
several attempts to interrupt the
Patriarch in his remarks but he waved them all off and insisted on
speaking his mind in full.
The unity of Syria still furnishes
the biggest theme of discussion in
the Syrian and Lebanese press. The
latest rumors are that M. Ponsot
favors some scheme of bringing
about this union in a manner that
would satisfy the aspirations of the
people of the interland without upsetting the traditions of the Lebanese in preserving some sort of isolation and independence. He is hopeful of effecting this result more
through economic pressure and the
necessity of creating one economic
unit of the whole country to facilitate exchange of trade with its different sections and make of Syria an
entrepot for the trade of the whole
Near East. Already some French
papers are stressing the necessity of
developing Syria as a trade link between Europe and Persia and other
Asiatic countries now that the overland trade route has been found
practicable and could, with proper
attention, be made a great trade
highway for the rapid exchange of
merchandise, dispensing with the
long and tedious water route. For the
promotion of this scheme, some
French papers are in favor of making the city of Damascus the seat
of the French High Commissariat ia
Syria instead of Beirut, as at present. This move, they declare, would
be a powerful bid for the goodwill
of the Moslem world and bound
to prove one of the most effective
steps for the development of commercial intercourse.
Of the political situation in Jebel
Druze, the original theatr* of th«
�-""w"
JUNE, 1927
«*-*
59
fighting attending the revolution, re- on the French lines of communicaports agree that in the populated tions in Syria and caused the French
districts conditions are rapidly ap- to complain to the English authoriproaching the normal stage. Only ties that if this condition were to
in the outlying sections is there still continue it would be interpreted as
any fighting going on, and this, ac- a hostile act and would justify recording to reports, is of a desultory prisals. The same observer also denature. A delegation of notables clares that if the Druzes are forced
from Jebel Druze coming to Beirut out of Al-Azrak they have the wide
to participate in the festivities at- stretches of the desert to fall back
tending the visit of the French fleet on where they would be free from
to Syrian waters petitioned the High any interference in the conduct of
Commissioner not for political or their raids, because it is their intenadministrative reforms, but for re- tion to prosecute the war to the
forms of a purely economic and edu- bitter end.
cational nature.
This latter view seems to be borne
out by statements from the revolutionary headquarters given much
MILITARY OPERATIONS
prominence by the nationalist press.
The most important development
The assertion is even made that the
in the military situation in Syria is
conflict is now raging as fierce as
the declaration by Emir Abdullah,
it ever was during any time of the
the ruling Prince of Transjordania,
revolution and that the punitive exof martial law in the district of Alpedition launched by the French
Azrak, the oasis in the Syrian Desert
against the hitherto impregnable
where Sultan Pasha Atrash, leader
volcanic plateau of Lijah failed in
of the Druze revolution, took refuge
attaining its objective and had to
when the French forces occupied the
take positions on the outskirts of
Druze mountain. The order issued
the section following severe losses
by Emir Abdullah states that "bein the vain attempt to drive out the
cause the district has become the
revolutionists.
scene of disquieting disturbances, it
The French military authorities,
becomes necessary to declare martial
after
their communique dealing with
law which will be enforced with all
the
operations
of March 29-30 in
severity by the military authorities."
which
they
claimed
to have won a
A military observer writing in
signal
victory
and
cleared
the dis"Al-Mokattam" of Cairo, a pro retrict
of
the
remnants
of
insurgent
volutionary Arabic paper, attaches
more political than military signifi- bands, have remained silent as to
cance to this new development in the further activities on any large scale,
situation in that it proves the ex- confining their announcements to
istence of a new agreement for co- what they describe as small bands of
operation between the English au- outlaws infesting mainly the disthorities in Palestine and the French tricts of Horns and Hama and not
authorities in Syria. All the Druzes the southern part of Syria in the
now in Al-Azrak, he declares, cannot direction of Jebel Druze.
A prominent Druze insurgent leadbe more than three thousand, but because they had been immune from er who had escaped to Palestine
French interference, they used the was arrested by the English authoriplace as a base for launching raids ties and turned over to the French.
�I
I
60
THE SYRIAN WORLD
p ?
WHAT HAPPENED TO ANNA?
ANNA is the Syrian immigrant girl who, upon landing
in America, discovered herself in lower Washington Street,
New York, but wanted to "ascend".
Read her wonderful story which is to be published serially beginning with the July issue of THE SYRIAN WORLD.
Follow this virtuous, determined and intelligent Syrian
girl in her defense of her honor and her struggle for success.
Learn what became of her when she was under the
illusion that she was a fugitive from justice for a fancied
murder, and what was the climax of her secret love for the
wealthy, educated and socially prominent young American
who had espoused her cause.
"ANNA ASCENDS", by the well-known American
author and playwrite, Harry Chapman Ford, was staged on
Broadway and had a successful run of a whole season with
the famous American stage and screen star Alice Brady appearing in the stellar role. The play was later filmed for
the screen. It was never published in book form. Your
only chance to read this gripping love story eulogizing the
Syrian girl is by following it in THE SYRIAN WORLD.
"ANNA ASCENDS" will be published in its original
form to preserve all its color and dramatic interest.
Make sure that you get your
coming July number.
SYRIAN WORLD
from the
MWMWWWWMWMWWMWUWWWyWWWMWMMWWMMMAAAAMAAAAAAAAA^
�1
V
STATEMENT OP THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION,
MTC.. REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1»12.
Of The Syrian World published monthly at New York, N.Y^for Apr. 1,1927
STATE OF NEW YORK.
COUNTY OF NEW YORK,
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the state and county aforesaid,
personally appeared Salloum A. Mokarzel, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says that he is the publisher of the The
Syrian World, and that the following is, to the best of bis knowledge and
belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown
in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1921, embodied in
section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this
form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing
editor, and business managers are:
Name of—
Post office address—
Publisher, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
104 Greenwich Street.
Managing Editor, Salloum Mokarzel
Business Managers, Salloum Mokarzel
104 Greenwich Street.
2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address
must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of
stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, or other
unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each
individual member, must be given.)
Salloum A. Mokarzel
104 Greenwich St.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders
owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages,
or other securities are: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the Mst of
stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the
company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation,
en; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's
the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is givfull knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under
which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books
of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other
than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe
that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct
or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated
by him.
5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication
sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown1 above is.
(This information is required from daily publications only.)
S. A. Mokarzel.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this eighth day of April, 1927.
[SEAL.]
Salem J. Lutfy.
(My commission expires March 30, 1929.)
�I I
62
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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walk from the Subway Station.
A SMALL DOWN PAYMENT will put you "on
the ground floor" while predevelopment prices
prevail.
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WITHOUT OBLIGATION SEND FOR FULL INFORMATION
E. J. KASON
151 WEST 40th STREET
15th Floor
NEW YORK CITY
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JUNE, 1927
-1
Shiek Coffee
Scarfs - Shawls
We have a complete line
of these very popular articles at the lowest prices.
We are also agents for
Julius Kayser & Co., and
carry, a big stock of their
merchandise, consisting of
Hosiery and Underwear.
M. E. HOWATT,
is the master coffee made to
meet all the requirement!
of the strict coffee connoisseurs. It is genuine Arabian
Coffee and has all its Aroma, Flavor and Quality.
Ground fine for the Turkish
Cup and coarse for
table use.
If you are unable to get
it from your grocer, order
it direct from us.
220 5th AVENUE,
ARABIAN COFFEE
IMPORTING CO.
NEW YORK CITY
220 5th AVENUE,
NEW YORK CITY
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Telephone: Madison Square 9598
riorenea, Italy.
FACTORIES:
Funchal, Madeira.
Shanghai, China.
Alex. J. Hamrah Company, Inc.
MANUFACTURERS AND IMPORTERS
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THE SYRIAN WORLD
64
Vrtilll*rtiVil(itttiii«ii«»iiitiuiiitiiiiniiirt!iiiiiii*tii"iit"'»i|
The Syrians in America] •
By Philip K. Hitti, Ph. D.
Books by Gibran
Our celebrated author wl
English books have been translated into a score of Janguarees.
It is a mark of distinction to
have them in one's library.
A book that is encyclopedic in
Its information about the Syrians
—their origin, history, progress,!
faiths, racial peculiarities and!
particularly, their present status
in America.
THE MADMAN
THE FORERUNNER
THE PROPHET . • •
SAND AND FOAM
$I.H
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J.M
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Dr. Hitti is an authority on this
{subject. His book should be read j
[by all Americans of Syrian des[cent and all Americans interestled in Syria and Syrians.
Add 10c for each book to cover
(postage.
Price, $1.25 postpaid.
104 Greenwich St.
On sale at the office of
"The Syrian World"
New York
THE SYRIAN WORLD
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ZAHLE
A panoramic view of this beautiful city of Lebanon, 8x50" clear
to the smallest detail, taken with a special camera by the SyrianAmerican photographer, F. Askar, can now be had by lovers of the
beautiful scenic views of the Old Country. This is an historic picture
that should have a place in the home of every emigrant from Zahle.
Other beautiful photographs taken by Mr. Askar include a panoramic view of the Ruins of Baalbeck, the Heights of Shweir, ana
the Peninsula of Jubeil, the historic City of Byblos.
Samples of these wonderful, original photographs are on display
at the office of The Syrian World.
Orders filled only if paid for in advance.
EACH
$5.oo POSTPAID
S Pictures or over in one Order, 10 p. c. Diaeonat.
F. ASKAR
THE SYRIAN WORLD
943 Military St., Port Huron, Mich. 104 Greenwich St., New York.
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N., P. & J. TRABULSI
MANUFACTURERS OF
MEN'S
MUFFLERS
Ladies' PRINTED & Fancy
SCARFS
MEN'S
& BOYS'
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HOLIDAY NOVELTIES
FOR THE JOBBING TRADE ONLY
599 BROADWAY-
-NEW YORK
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INTEREST
THE LEBANON
NATIONAL BANK
OF NEW YORK
Commencing January 1st, 1927, our interest rate will be increased to 5% per annum.
This is the highest rate of interest paid
by any bank in the United States.
We invite local and long distance
accounts.
Deposits may be mailed from
any state in the Union.
We are a National Institution under the
supervision of the Federal Government,
and a member of The Federal Keserve
Bank.
We have Foreign connections all over the
world.
We issue Domestic and Foreign
Letters of Credit, Foreign Drafts, U. S.
Dollars Money Orders.
Start an account at once, and take full
advantage of the high rate of interest.
Accounts opened on or before the 10th of
each month draw interest from the 1st of
the month.
THE LEBANON NATIONAL BANK
59 Washington St., New York City.
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THE typewriter is indispensable for modern business. The
use of a typewriter saves time, insures legibility and enables you to keep carbon copies of every word you write.
For more than fifty years the Remington Typewriter Company
has been making typewriters - the Rem.ngton was the first
typewriter ever built.
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The Arabic Remington is the complete Arabic typewriter. It
has the standard keyboard (two characters to a key), automatic ribbon reverse, variable line-spacer, and every oth- operating convenience found in modern typewriters. The Arabic
Remington is complete.
Thousands of Remingtons writing Arabic are in daily use in
Egypt, Syria, Arabia. Turkey and throughout the world.
There are Remington Salesrooms and
Service Stations in more than 1000
cities and towns.
REMINGTON TYPEWRITER COMPANY
374 Broadway
New York, N. Y.
Remington
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Oriental
Rugs
DIRECT IMPORTATION
PLENTIFUL STOCK
ALL
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THE HOUSE OF RELIABILITY
N. TADROSS & CO.
295 FIFTH AVENUE
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AUTHORIZED BANKERS & BROKERS
81-85 WASHINGTON ST.
NEW YORK
Cable Address FAOUR New York
WE GIVE INTEREST 4% PER ANNUM
On Saving (Accounts Credited Semi-Annually
January & July
CHECKING ACCOUNTS INVITED
ACCOUNTS MAY BE OPENED BY MAIL
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you have only one operation, that of setting the type or the matrices. No
distribution of type back into the cases with the
great waste of time such an operation entails.
With the Linotype you can keep any quantity of
composition aside without fear of running short.
You can set whole books and let them stand for
any length of time. You can set your standing
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would add to the credit of your establishment.
The Linotype is the machine of not only faster
work, but better work as well and at less cost.
WITH THE LINOTYPE,
Mergenthaler Linotype Company
Brooklyn, New York, U.S. A.
CABLE LINOTYPE, NEW YORK
LINOTYPED IN THE BODONI BOOK SERIES
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Established 1908 1
One of the many attractive Tapestry designs handled by this firm.
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40 Rector St., New York
PRICE, $1.00
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Invention of Vladimir Halabi
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SUBSCRIPTION BLANK
You may enter my name as a subscriber to "The Syrian World"
for the term of one year, during which period I am to receive 12 issues,
for which I agree to pay the regular rate of $5.00 upon receipt of the
first issue.
Name
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City & State
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Newspapers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Salloum Mokarzel, a Lebanese American intellectual, founded<em> The Syrian World</em> in 1926. Salloum Mokarzel was the younger brother of Naoum Mokarzel, the publisher of the Arabic-language newspaper <em>Al-Hoda. </em>Together, the Mokarzel brothers ran Al-Hoda Publishing, and in 1909, they published <em>The Syrian Business Directory.</em> </p>
<p>Mokarzel created <em>The Syrian World</em> in order to document and celebrate the culture and history of "Syria." At the time, Syria referred to the modern-day countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The publication was primarily aimed towards second-generation children of immigrants, but Mokarzel hoped that it would also appeal to the general American public.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p><em>The Syrian World</em> was published between 1926 and 1932 as a journal. In 1932, the format was changed from an academic journal style to a newspaper style, which continued until the periodical's end in 1935. After the death of his brother Naoum, Salloum took over the publication of <em>Al-Hoda.</em></p>
<p>The articles in <em>The Syrian World</em> cover a variety of topics spanning from the practical to the theoretical. Practical subjects include international and domestic travel, historical and contemporary Arabic and Arab-American art and literature, and the mental and physical health and hygiene of immigrants. More theoretical, philosophical, and ideological subjects include ideologies of race, the changing role of women, the formation of Syrian and Lebanese-American societies, and the political and psychological relationships between immigrants and their countries of origin.</p>
<p>All issues of <em>The Syrian World</em> are available, along with full indexes for the first four volumes. For volumes five and six, there are tables of contents at the start of the issues.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabs--United States
Arabic periodicals
Newspapers
Arab American Newspapers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1926-1935
Relation
A related resource
<em><a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Syrian Business Directory</a></em>
<a href="http://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mokarzel Family Papers</a>
<a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11299/175685" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annotated Index to the Syrian World, 1926-1932</a> at the University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center Archives
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Al-Hoda Newspapers</em></a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Claire A. Kempa, 2015-2017. Collection Guide written by Claire A. Kempa, 2017.
Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 August.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
These materials are digital copies of an original resource held by another institution. The KCLDS Archive often works with other institutions to make digital materials available online to the public. KCLDS is not able to grant permission to use or reproduce these materials. The KCLDS Archive strongly encourages users to contact the holding institution for permission to use or reproduce materials from their holdings.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
NS 0002
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
TSW1927_06reducedWM
Title
A name given to the resource
The Syrian World Volume 01, Issue 12
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1927 June
Description
An account of the resource
Volume1 Issue 12 of The Syrian World published May 1927. The issue opens with an article by Alfred Ely Day on "Geology of Syria and Palestine." Following that is an article by Ameen Rihani that discusses how the East (Middle East) and West (Europe anbd United States) meet. This issue focuses on emigration and integration. One of its articles discusses the benefits of Syrian emigration. The historical articles intermingled in this issue cover the city of Beirut and the life of Al-Farid, an Arabian mystic poet from 1181 A.D. The issue concludes with excerpts from the Syrian Press, the Reader’s Forum, and more on the political developments in Syria.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Arabic literature--History and criticism--Periodicals
Arabs--United States--Periodicals
Lebanese-Americans--United States--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Salloum A. Mokarzel
Syrian-American Press
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
New York Public Library
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
104 Greenwich St., New York, NY
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Ameen Rihani
Beirut
Immigration
Lebanon
New York
Palestine
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/bb17670bcc5c41a3a3d1fd6f6abb1220.pdf
4e618b8fd51a2fece0693544b1f0937c
PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: English Manuscripts
Language
A language of the resource
English
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 23 of Ameen Rihani’s published and unpublished English manuscripts. The manuscripts were written between 1903-1932.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1903-1932
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR41
Title
A name given to the resource
The Fate of Palestine
Description
An account of the resource
This manuscript is a book Ameen Rihani wrote, which contains a number of lectures, articles, and documents discussing Palestine and Zionism. Posthumously published in 1967 as The Fate of Palestine.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Zionism--Palestine--History
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Ameen Rihani
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1920's
manuscript
Palestine
Palestinian Problem
Zionism
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/7972e0a773ad27e4bd4dfd8c6c7a2031.pdf
6d237e06d28ba28d38224d11f804d77e
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oussani and Fuleihan Family Papers Series 2: Photographs
Description
An account of the resource
This series contains family portraits and photographs. Included are photos from family events, trips, weddings, and funerals.
Materials in this series are arranged chronologically.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1880s-2000
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Oussani2018-0148
Title
A name given to the resource
Overlooking River and City
Subject
The topic of the resource
Lebanese--United States
Photographs
Families
Description
An account of the resource
A photograph of a city from a structure on a hill. View of several buildings, smokestacks, and a cemetery below.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
undated
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image/pdf
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Oussani Fuleihan family
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
Cemeteries
landscape
Palestine
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/cfd9aae63a08ee51e40750923286c109.pdf
dda4ea1030ad3290033b709813252456
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oussani and Fuleihan Family Papers Series 2: Photographs
Description
An account of the resource
This series contains family portraits and photographs. Included are photos from family events, trips, weddings, and funerals.
Materials in this series are arranged chronologically.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1880s-2000
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Oussani2018-0630
Title
A name given to the resource
Nasri Fuleihan in a car in front of the Church of Nativity, Bethlehem.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Lebanese--United States
Photographs
Families
Description
An account of the resource
A photograph of Nasri Fuleihan in a car in front of the Church of Nativity, Bethlehem.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1920s
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image/pdf
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Oussani Fuleihan family
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
1920s
Palestine
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/cfaa21684c97126c9e4b4c7bb1bc5045.pdf
007b2d982ec5f7b8bc763a89ec3539cf
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_04_004
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from the Association of Palestine Fraternity to Ameen Rihani, 1930 February 24
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من جمعية الاتحاد والاخاء الفلسطينية الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 24 شباط 1924. تشكر الجمعية الريحاني على مقالاته وخطبة لاستنهاض وشحذ الهمم حول القضية الفلسطينية. ويهنئون الريحاني على مناقشته مع "المستر موريس في جمعية الشؤون الخارجية السياسية". الاسماء المذكورة الاخرى: يعقوب العيد الفاخوري، مينا (الاسم الاخير غير واضح)،
A letter from the Association of Palestine Fraternity to Ameen Rihani, dated February 24, 1930. The association thanks Rihani for all his efforts, speeches, and articles to support the issue of Palestine. They congratulate Rihani on his talks with "Mr. Maurics"* in Cincinnati in the "Political and Foreign Affairs Association". other names mentioned: Yakoub alFakhouri, Mina.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
شباط 1930
1930-02-24
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
جمعية الاتحاد والاخاء الفلسطينية
Association of Palestine Fraternity
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Tampico, Mexico
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1930's
Association of Palestine Fraternity
Negotiations
Palestine
Yakoub alFakhouri
امين الريحاني
جمعية الاتحاد والاخاء الفلسطينية
فلسطين
محادثات
يعقوب الفاخوري
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/23ddefd10f23ce08e3e0e17f8dfa68b6.pdf
26fa3ced12c079703753dcde9aa3d7e8
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_04_032
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Raghib al-Nashashibi to Ameen Rihani, 1933 June 16
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من راغب النشاشيبي الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 16 حزيران 1933. يعتذر للريحاني عن تأخره الرد على رسالة سابقة من الاخير (الريحاني) بسبب حادث تعرض له، ويعرب عن اسفه لعدم اشتراك الصناعات العربية في معرض شيكاغو
A letter from Raghib al-Nashashibi to Ameen Rihani, dated June 16, 1933. Nashashibi apologizes for delay in writing to Rihani due to a car accident, and expresses sadness that Arabian industries were not able to participate in The Chicago World's Fair.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
حزيران 1933
1933-06-16
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
راغب النشاشيبي
Raghib al-Nashashibi
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1930's
Economy
Industry
Jerusalem
Palestine
Raghib al-Nashashibi
The Chicago World's Fair
اقتصاد
القدس
امين الريحاني
راغب النشاشيبي
صناعة
فلسطين
معرض شيكاغو
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/ab3d94006911095fc4a68cd12b4c993a.pdf
46b6885e5af9824a5a3900a348a7380d
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_04_069
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, 1937 August 23
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من محمد امين الحسيني الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 23 اب 1937. يشكر الحسيني الريحاني على جهود الاخير في الولايات المتحدة لدعم القضية الفلسطينية.
A letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, dated August 23, 1937. Husseini thanks Rihani for his efforts in the U.S. in supporting the issue of Palestine.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
اب 1937
1937-08-23
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
محمد امين الحسيني
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1930's
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Palestine
United States
الولايات المتحدة الامريكية
امين الريحاني
فلسطين
محمد امين الحسيني
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/eafcc5a95de287ef68dc5b85f2fc1a57.pdf
edd03aa8c9006c2584ff21e9375cd74a
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_04_057
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, 1936 June 15
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من محمد امين الحسيني الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 15 حزيران 1936. يشكر الحسيني الريحاني على رسالة الاخير الى الملوك العرب لدعم القضية الفلسطينية وانقاذها، ويعرض عليه ان يكون عضوا ضمن وفد عربي الى الولايات المتحدة لما للريحاني من "المكانة والكلمة المسموعة في المقامات الاميركية".
A letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, dated June 15, 1936. Husseini thanked Rihani for his letter to Arab leaders to support and "save" Palestine. Husseini also offered for Rihani to be a member in an Arab delegate to America since he has strong social and political bonds in the country.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
حزيران 1936
1936-06-15
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
محمد امين الحسيني
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1930's
Delegation
Jerusalem
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Palestine
United States
القدس
الولايات المتحدة
امين الريحاني
فلسطين
محمد امين الحسيني
وفد
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/5bcd766765ad03c8915b6e172b109df3.pdf
6f7fa37af33e16cbe14f3f6011f2cde9
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_04_034
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, 1934 January 5
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من محمد امين الحسيني الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 5 كانون الثاني 1934. فيها يدعو الحسيني الريحاني الى الاقامة في فلسطين بعد "انذار السلطة الاجنبية" في لبنان الريحاني "بوجوب مغادرة البلاد في امد قريب".
A letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, dated January 5, 1934. Husseini invites Rihani to live in Palestine, after the "foreign authority" in Lebanon "warned" Rihani to "Leave the country as soon as possible."
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
كانون الثاني 1934
1934-01-05
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
محمد امين الحسيني
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1930's
Expulsion
Foreign Authority
Lebanon
Mandate
Mohammad Amin al-Husseini
Palestine
الانتداب
السلطة الاجنبية
امين الريحاني
طرد
فلسطين
لبنان
محمد امين الحسيني
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/21392d888d3845cada9ccd4e288ca195.pdf
fbd5331697e784409b619e825e970cd1
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_04_026
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, 1933 April 24
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من محمد امين الحسيني الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 24 نيسان 1933. يناقش الحسيني الريحاني حول معرض شيكاغو في الولايات المتحدة وربما اشتراك غرفة تجارة فلسطين فيه.
A letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, dated April 24, 1933. Husseini discusses with Rihani The Chicago World's Fair, and possible participation of Palestine in it.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
نيسان 1933
1933-04-24
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
محمد امين الحسيني
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1930's
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
National Chamber of Commerce
Palestine
The Chicago World's Fair
امين الريحاني
غرفة التجارة الوطنية
فلسطين
محمد امين الحسيني
معرض شيكاغو
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/f09eb8c5abdb936b9eb595565cea7b7b.pdf
d5224aae230da00ab354b69c593a2f9d
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_04_002
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, 1930 February 22
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من محمد امين الحسيني الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 22 شباط 1930. يخبر الحسيني الريحاني انه "تقرر ارسال وفد الى لندن لمفاوضة الحكومة الانكليزية بشأن فلسطين" وانه تم اختيار الريحاني ضمن الوفد المشارك. وارسل له عنوان "العصبة الوطنية" في لندن. من الاسماء المذكورة: جمال افندي الحسيني.
A letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, dated February 22, 1930. Husseini informs Rihani that "a delegation is to be sent to London to negotiate with the British Government the issue of Palestine" and that Rihani was chosen to participate. Husseini also sends the address of the National League in London. Other names mentioned: Jamal alHusseini
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
شباط 1930
1930-02-22
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
محمد امين الحسيني
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1930's
Articles
Britain
Jerusalem
London
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Negotiations
Palestine
Speeches
The National League
العصبة الوطنية
القدس
امين الريحاني
بريطانيا
جمال الحسيني
خطب
فلسطين
لندن
محمد امين الحسيني
مفاوضات
مقالات
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/e2b0f9e69c33ef282a6e9833ef0430c7.pdf
687d1fb0d066c4bb6ab1cff72c21fbd8
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_03_082
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, 1929 December 29
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من محمد امين الحسيني الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 16 كانون الاول 1929. يخبر الحسيني الريحاني بالاستعدادات العربية لمناقشة قضية فلسطين في لندن.
A letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, dated December 29, 1929. Husseini informs Rihani of Arab preparations to discuss Palestine issue in London.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
كانون الاول 1929
1929-12-29
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
محمد امين الحسيني
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1920's
Britain
Jerusalem
London
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Palestine
القدس
امين الريحاني
بريطانيا
فلسطين
لندن
محمد امين الحسيني
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/5929ef7b44c2ce595a2cff898f874230.pdf
dfec81ddbd7acbc85a2240752ec759b9
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_03_058
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, 1927 June 15
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من محمد امين الحسيني الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 15 حزيران 1927. يعلم الحسيني الريحاني بالاجتماع الذي حصل في بيت "موسى كاظم باشا" وامله في عقد اجتماعات لاحقة من اجل السلم والقضية الفلسطينية. كما يسأله ويدعوه الى زيارة القدس وفلسطين.
A letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, dated June 15, 1927. Husseini informs Rihani of the meeting that took place at "Moussa Kazum Pasha" house, and his hope to hold more future successful meetings for the peace on Palestine. He also invites Rihani to visit Jerusalem and Palestine.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
حزيران 1927
1927-06-15
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
محمد امين الحسيني
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1920's
Jerusalem
Meetings
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Moussa Kazum Pasha
Musa Kazim Pasha
Palestine
Peace
اجتماعات
السلام
القدس
امين الريحاني
فلسطين
محمد امين الحسيني
موسى كاظم باشا
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/9f9d8a19fad06ff30f8875e43c8eaef6.pdf
7d5148f94b5c229b764c4b08bebd28e3
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_03_063
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, 1927 August 20
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من محمد امين الحسيني الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 20 اب 1927. الحسيني يطمئن على صحة الريحاني بعد اصابة الاخير بـ "جرثوم الحمى الملاريا". كما يشكره على دعمه فلسطين وشحذه الهمم العربية لمساعدة الناس بعد زالزال الذي حدث - زلزال نابلس 1927. ويبعث له (للريحاني) بسلام السيد موسى كاظم باشا، ويخبره انه يترقب زيارته للقدس في اواخر الصيف.
A letter from Mohammed Amin al-Husseini to Ameen Rihani, dated August 20, 1927. Husseini asks about Rihani's health, as he had Malaria. Husseini also thanks Rihani for all the support he presents calling for people to help Palestine and its people after the earthquake. Husseini sends Rihani greetings from Musa Kazim Pasha al-Husayni, and tells him they are expecting Rihani in Jerusalem at the end of summer.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
اب 1927
1927-08-20
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
محمد امين الحسيني
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Jerusalem, Israel
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1920's
Disease: Malaria
Jerusalem
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
Musa Kazim Pasha al-Husayni
Palestine
Visit
القدس
امين الريحاني
زلزال نابلس 1927
زيارة
فلسطين
محمد امين الحسيني
مرض: الملاريا
موسى كاظم الحسيني
-
https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/2b2c5110db3f179049786588af573910.pdf
aea329123373d2fb36bc2b18fe7175fe
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ameen Rihani: Arabic Letters
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
American literature--Arab American authors
Description
An account of the resource
The Ameen Fares Rihani collection contains the personal correspondence, English and Arabic manuscripts, papers, notebooks, articles, press clippings, and other documents of Ameen Fares Rihani (1876-1940), a formative and influential Arab-American author, poet, political activist, and intellectual who dedicated his life to promoting and advocating for Arab culture and history across the world.
This collection contains 271 letters, written in Arabic, addressed to Ameen Fares Rihani from friends, family, political leaders, and others. The letters were written between 1899-1941.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Ameen Rihani Organization
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/PDF
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Rihani2018AR56_04_080
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
رسائل إلى أمين الريحاني - العربية
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from King Abdulaziz bin Saud to Ameen Rihani, 1939 February 21
Description
An account of the resource
رسالة من عبد العزيز بن سعود الى امين الريحاني بتاريخ 21 شباط 1939. يبلغ الملك الريحاني انه اطلع على رسالة الاخير الى فيصل في لندن ويشكر له ذلك، ويؤكد له عمله المستمر من اجل حل القضية فلسطينية ودرء الخطر عن البلاد العربية.
A letter from Abdulaziz bin Saud to Ameen Rihani, dated February 21, 1939. The King informs Rihani that he read Rihani's letter to Prince Faisal in London and thanks him for that. The King confirms his continuous effort to solve the Palestine issue and prevent risk of other Arab countries.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Rihani, Ameen Fares, 1876-1940
Ibn Saʻūd,--King of Saudi Arabia,--1880-1953
Correspondence
Letter writing, Arabic
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
شباط 1939
1939-02-21
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
الملك عبد العزيز بن سعود
King Abdulaziz bin Saud
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Saudi Arabia
Language
A language of the resource
Arabic
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Ameen Rihani Organization
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Donor retains full ownership of any and all copyright currently controlled in agreement with Khayrallah Center. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
1930's
Conference
London
Palestine
Prince Faisal
الامير فيصل
امين الريحاني
عبد العزيز بن سعود
فلسطين
لندن
مؤتمر